Walking Through the Storm In a Fancy Hat

The end is the beginning. Telling time by remembering the end of the world. 

   I was dusting this painting off a few days ago and remembering painting it in 2011. It was an expression of the time that the world was supposed to end, again. This time, by the Mayan calendar coming to an end: same feeling, different day. Now, we are being held hostage by Christian Nationalists who want the world to end, and are doing everything in their power to make it happen. A bunch of doomsday cults reporting the rapture is coming, over and over. Keeping time by expecting the end of the world.
How many times do we have to do this?
The post-apocalyptic collapse of modern society is our favorite story these days. Within my lifetime, 54 years, I’ve been witness to many ends of the world. I remember in 2000 when the world was supposed to end because of the Y2K computer glitch. All the prepping people did. The permaculture course filled beyond capacity with people wanting their fruit trees to bear fruit in the first year. I wonder where they all are now. I wonder if some of them took those teachings and continued. I like to think of them making jam with their figs, to put on some mesquite bean pancakes. I hope they are well.

I remember on New Year's Day of 2000 deciding to never behave as if the world is ending again. To know every day the world ends and begins billions of times over. Behaving as if there are no new beginnings, that the world is ending, leads to bad behavior.
Choosing to behave as if the world is beginning every day is easy to say and hard to practice, while being held hostage by our government. I admit I am struggling. I guess that is why I am writing this. to remind myself of the antidote. An interesting weaving together of permaculture practice, shamanic practice, and artistic practice. Every day, envisioning and knowing how to bring spirit into matter. To work here now, building and growing. Holding vision until it comes into form. Keeping time by the new day of new beginnings. The Key to it all is to work together in community and connection.