44 Comments
User's avatar
steelcitygirl's avatar

Once they all get down there, seal them in 🤷

Bruce Tracy's avatar

I absolutely love this article. I'm going to save it and reread it often. As someone who spends as much time in nature as I possibly can I love to take hikes in very remote places, admire the awesomeness of nature and think, there are so many forces greater than me out here that could end me at any time. I love nature's true power.

Jessica's avatar

Excellent. :)

𝓙𝓪𝓼𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓮 𝓦𝓸𝓵𝓯𝓮 (𝓜)'s avatar

Oh hell yeah, life will outlast them! 🤣😂🤣 Most likely, the humble, cockroach. 💕

Jeff McFadden's avatar

What I do with hope is, I hope my plans to adapt a 3 point hitch to my donkey cart work out. If that hope is vain, I'll think up a simpler hitch and get by with smaller implements.

And I hope it rains on the asshole's parades, always.

As I think you hope to get your atmospheric water harvesting system working better.

This is a superb essay, but I've come to expect no less from you.

Jessica's avatar

Yes, goal-oriented hope. Small hope vs. Big Hope. We all need the small hopes/expectations. The big ones breed complacency.

Robert Greenwood's avatar

Little Daoism and a little Shinto combined can go a long way. Great essay, great insights. Keep searching. And by all means, keep sharing. Thanks

Pbr's avatar

Bunkers aren’t a strategic answer. Most bunker have flaws. One way in same way out.what happens if something fell on the opening? What happens when someone bulldoze over the escape hatch. What about airflow and water? Really nice coffins.

Joan Kiley's avatar

I abandoned “ hope “ a long time ago, it promises but never delivers. I’m not a cynic either.

I have faith.

𝓙𝓪𝓼𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓮 𝓦𝓸𝓵𝓯𝓮 (𝓜)'s avatar

How in the hell do they think they'll even be anywhere near their bunkers when the shit really hits the fan🤔 For the ones who do, then yes, they'll die down there pretty quickly 🤷‍♀️

Pbr's avatar

because they are special and bad things don’t happen to them. Lol

Mark Bevis's avatar

"So if you doubt our ability to overthrow the fascists, rest assured that nature will finish the job. To take comfort in that, you have to let go of the outcome you envisioned."

"But a Daoist would say you have to let go of your emotional attachment to the outcomes. Do these things because you believe they’re the right thing to do"

Oh yes! Channelling the late Michael Dowd. Hey, I didn't know I was a Daoist :)

This morning I did something that Musk didn't do. As I opened the front door to evict a moth I'd captured, there were two goldfinches on the telegraph wire outside my house. One sidles up to the other side stepping in almost cartoonish fashion. Then it starts feeding the other. So a parent and juvenile. One of those little magic moments you get when you notice nature more. All the parents and drivers below taking their phones and children for a walk to school were completely oblivious.

G.V.'s avatar

Absolutely beautiful piece, Jessica. I share your hope.

Anthony's avatar

Nice piece. I suppose I’m in the daoist camp given how I go about my life.

Lara Coutinho's avatar

And every day, they will drag you by the hand, yelling:

"This is important! And this is important.' And this is important!

You need to worry about this! And this! And this!

And buy this, that, and the other useless thing."

And each day, it's up to you to yank your hand back, put it on your heart and say:

"No. This is what's important"

Take your morning coffee while you keep an eye on your plants or a garden; kiss your dear ones and be grateful that they are well; laugh with people who truly get you, etc, etc.

Thank you for your post: very enlightening! ✨

Brad Neufeld's avatar

You had me at "die". ;)

Jen Gingras Harper's avatar

This is the Way. 🙏

I've come back around to Taoism after a brief love affair with Tho Tao of Pooh in college. The author ruined it with The Te of Piglet. The Life Wisdom podcast by Words of Taoism has been a balm lately, reminding me why I was so drawn to it in the first place. ❤️

Jessica's avatar

Yep, the way. :)

Oli G.'s avatar

" Just learn to let go of the outcomes you wanted, and see the world the way it is. "

That's a massive tall order for big share of humans who have built their identity on what they were socially convinced they somehow deserve/can expect (pension, increasing salary, "better" life for their kids, ...).

They have to experience deep loss / depression / recurrent hardship to get an opportunity to shake up their assumptions and let go of what they previously wanted.

Carolyn Eklund's avatar

They are bound to. Such a “full life”they’ll have on our dime and a miserable death.

jonny's avatar

Brilliantly insightful. Succinctly put. Top post :)

Cabot O'Callaghan's avatar

Huh. Guess I got some Daoism in me.