Islands in Time
Feb. 13th, 2008 01:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithToday I watched a news segment on a high school basketball team that comes from Colorado City on the Utah border, a very insular community that practices polygamy. Because polygamy is technically illegal in America, the community has tended to keep very much to itself, living a very traditional -- even archaic -- lifestyle. And of course the classic tale came up, the one that goes "We are the chosen people, someday the rest of the world will be wiped away and we'll survive." It wasn't quite what the interviewees seemed to believe, but they quoted it as an example of religious fundamentalism; some families are trying to become a little more flexible.
Thing is, there's a grain of truth under the apocalypic narcissism. It doesn't have to do with their specific religion so much as their chosen lifestyle. There were still horses on the street along with the cars, and chickens and vegetable gardens in the yards. They don't take it quite as far as the Amish, who are the bulwark of traditionalism in the Midwest where I live, but there are little religious enclaves scattered around the country like islands in time. These are people who are still practicing the basic skills of self-sufficiency. That might be more important in the future.
One prediction for how the world could go is a collossal economic and social crash brought on by the "Peak Oil" effect. A longer, slower decline has also been predicted as another possibility. Either could create radical changes in where and how people live ... for anyone (i.e. almost the whole population) deeply reliant on the money economy, fossil fuels, and easy travel. But that's not quite everyone. Those little archaic enclaves, different ones in different places, would be much less affected. They've got the skills to survive, if they or their neighbors don't start a religious brawl that wipes out the local knowledge pool. Things that the mainstream used to laugh at as silly and archaic could suddenly return to vital importance again.
Society is kind of like nature, when it comes to evolution. Diversity is crucial because you never know what will be useful tomorrow. Things that are marginalized now may become essential; things that are essential now may become useless. It's never a waste to know how to grow your own food, fix things that break, or make stuff from scratch. It's good to know your neighbors.
And me? Well, if I ever have to call on the Amish for a broody hen and a batch of eggs, at least I know enough to send a male messenger or put on a dress and hat if I have to go myself. I may not share their lifestyle, but I've always respected it ... and part of that respect comes from an awareness that they're lorekeepers for certain skills that humanity needs to maintain, even if it's only an island in time. Because if your big fancy ship sinks, that island may just save your life.
Thing is, there's a grain of truth under the apocalypic narcissism. It doesn't have to do with their specific religion so much as their chosen lifestyle. There were still horses on the street along with the cars, and chickens and vegetable gardens in the yards. They don't take it quite as far as the Amish, who are the bulwark of traditionalism in the Midwest where I live, but there are little religious enclaves scattered around the country like islands in time. These are people who are still practicing the basic skills of self-sufficiency. That might be more important in the future.
One prediction for how the world could go is a collossal economic and social crash brought on by the "Peak Oil" effect. A longer, slower decline has also been predicted as another possibility. Either could create radical changes in where and how people live ... for anyone (i.e. almost the whole population) deeply reliant on the money economy, fossil fuels, and easy travel. But that's not quite everyone. Those little archaic enclaves, different ones in different places, would be much less affected. They've got the skills to survive, if they or their neighbors don't start a religious brawl that wipes out the local knowledge pool. Things that the mainstream used to laugh at as silly and archaic could suddenly return to vital importance again.
Society is kind of like nature, when it comes to evolution. Diversity is crucial because you never know what will be useful tomorrow. Things that are marginalized now may become essential; things that are essential now may become useless. It's never a waste to know how to grow your own food, fix things that break, or make stuff from scratch. It's good to know your neighbors.
And me? Well, if I ever have to call on the Amish for a broody hen and a batch of eggs, at least I know enough to send a male messenger or put on a dress and hat if I have to go myself. I may not share their lifestyle, but I've always respected it ... and part of that respect comes from an awareness that they're lorekeepers for certain skills that humanity needs to maintain, even if it's only an island in time. Because if your big fancy ship sinks, that island may just save your life.
