Minnesota Fair II
Driving through rural Wisconsin on our way from Iowa to the Chicago airport, we stopped at an old barn to take pictures of the corn that filled our front, side and rear views the past three days. I peered through the slats and saw the barn was open so I ran around back to see what was inside. This beautiful old machine stood there, long unused, but not discarded. All during our drive I wondered what Iowa looked like before corn and soy filled it's fields. And I wondered if we could ever go back to the days when farmers saved their seeds and worried what they would do if the crops failed. It's so easy to fixate on our current problems and romanticize the past. But one thing is for certain: progress is a force beyond our control. We can't go backwards. Progress is not all bad, of course, but I'd like to think it's more likely to be successful when it comes from a pure desire to improve our lives. Yet, those be muddy waters. We can't fully predict the consequences of our actions. That said, it's not an excuse not to try. We can fulfill our need to improve but that doesn't mean we should have a free pass forward. All that says the girl who often makes impulsive decisions. Yes, we are an impulsive species, and even more so in the age of instant feedback. But we are also gifted with self reflection and awareness. And advancement in my mind is about honing that skill to transcend the parts of our human nature that no longer suite us. Like over-prescribed gender roles, and violence. We can build tools to help map the future. We can have thoughtful, reflective conversations and we can do amazing things. If we can build a massive monoculture agriculture system, we can also unbuild it. If we can build pipelines under the ocean, we can also rebuild our energy grid with renewable resources. It's easy to get overwhelmed with the state our world is in, it's easy to throw your hands in the air and declare us fucked. But if there is one thing the Bern road trip has taught me, it's that if we ignore these issues, we surrender our greatest gift. It's time to be awake America! We can't afford to sleep on this one!