What struck me most during my short visit to Occupy Wall St in NYC and participation in a General Assembly there, was how much energy and attention people were investing in taking care of one another… food, first aid, blankets, kindness to neighboring businesses, respect of noise, etc.
Is that the case in other cities? What if at the core… it’s about all of us caring for one another?
Following the guidance of Buckminster Fuller, what can we do “to make the world work for 100% of humanity in the shortest possible time, with spontaneous cooperation and without ecological damage or disadvantage of anyone?”
And if you’re wondering about your own personal piece… here’s a couple more quotes from Bucky that inspire me:
“The things to do are: the things that need doing: that you see need to be done, and that no one else seems to see need to be done. Then you will conceive your own way of doing that which needs to be done — that no one else has told you to do or how to do it. This will bring out the real you that often gets buried inside a character that has acquired a superficial array of behaviors induced or imposed by others on the individual.”
“When individuals join in a cooperative venture, the power generated far exceeds what they could have accomplished acting individually.”
I’ve noticed this as well. I feel as if they’re creating a new type of civilization rooted in the ideals of a way of behaving towards one another that has been lost over the years. The reinforcement of the golden rule. It’s quite moving. Occupy Asheville has certainly had some bumps in the road, and due to being pushed from location to location by city officials, feels like it is starting to dissipate. I have some friends that have made it up to NYC, though, and they have spoken very positively, much like you.
FYI, you probably knew about this, you can visit http://www.nycga.net/how-to-help/ and find places to send clothing, money, and even food to the occupiers.
My own personal thoughts about occupy are centered around the idea that, at the very least, it displays the growing backbone of the American People, and that can’t be a bad thing.
Also interesting: http://occupygeorge.com/
-Danny
Danny,
Thanks for your thoughts and the links. I think this movement is also reflective of the fact that we’re cultivating a new way of speaking out and speaking to each other about the things that matter. I really love this little video with Naomi Klein http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaEeeLOB5IA&feature=youtu.be
Unfortunately I’ve not gotten involved with Occupy Asheville beyond attending a couple of GA’s. I couldn’t quite feel the same energy and process making sense in Asheville as it does in NYC or other big cities. Seems like there are different things and ways of communicating that make more sense here. BUT, that being said, I haven’t given any energy to the movement here to learn more about their angle and approach. I’d just like to see more collective action towards specific ends here. There’s a lot of talk in these hills…
my 2 cents!