Everywhere I look I see two ideas swallowed without question, common as dirt and breathed out like air, two assumptions refracted from every facet of our culture:
1) the idea that progress is inevitable, that the forces of science and social justice roll forward of their own accord to keep making life better all the time
2) the idea that the things I care most about-- family ties, spirituality, handcraft, the relevance of history-- are increasingly irrelevant, withering away and doomed.
I do not believe either of these is true.
I believe Hodding Carter, Sr, who said ""There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One of these is roots, the other, wings."
Everything I have lived tells me that every true step forward for our world as a whole, every beat of our wings, must be propelled by the conscious efforts of responsible individuals. Everything I've lived tells me that in each individual, this consciousness, this responsibility, develops from the same needs that are encoded in us as a species and have sustained us through time, and that these are our roots.
Somedays I find modern life a little like being trapped in a funhouse where mirror after mirror shows me something that is not true. This site is nothing more or less than my own map out of the funhouse, the resources I use to build a good life. These pages are full of things I find true, good, and useful-- from links to favorite recipes to essays on epiphany. They all strengthen my roots and wings. I invite you to share my strength.
