Consciousness

As a current resident of Detroit, dealing with no power for almost 3 months now, facing foreclosure, and wondering where do we go now, I constantly wonder what major issue is the reason for this. There are racial segregation issues, human rights issues (I was told that the tri-county area I live in jails more citizens per capita than any other area), poverty and welfare rights issues, we are in the middle of an energy crisis (as DTE is the one and only energy company available for both gas and electricity in the entire city, and their respect for human beings seems non-existent), an extremely corrupt governing body, and I am sure I could list all of the individual issues over and over again. It is easy to feel that we are down beyond the point of rehabilitation; everywhere I go in this city I see the charred remnants of a once brilliant and beautiful city, and much like the vacant and gutted houses, it is as if the very soul of Detroit was stolen and sold. To who? I don't even pretend to know.

Interestingly enough, as all of the vanities of humanity are stripped away, the essence of consciousness is able to once again shine through, like a beacon of guidance towards the path of survival. Time and time again I am able to sit through discussions of all varieties, be it with a peace coalition, or an urban farming community, an anarchist squatting project, or a fairtax discussion, a United States Social Forum local organizing meeting, or even just sitting around with friends; the constantly reoccurring hope is for a shift in consciousness. We the people feel that ourselves, our loved ones, and even those more commonly referred to as "they" have given up, or maybe just lost the basic thing that unites us as a species: Consciousness. This concept can be defined within the confines of our language in many ways, but to sum it up, consciousness is the awareness of ones existence through full activity of the senses and their interpretation by the mind. But what does that mean? How do you teach consciousness to those that don't even realize that they are not yet awake? I feel that it cannot be forced or even dictated. It is a realization that only can come with experience and interconnectedness. Something that must be achieved through community and interpersonal interactions that lead to an understanding of humanity as a macro, as well as a micro, entity.

Although I have felt that I am somewhat conscious currently, I also recognize that to further that, and allow my own perceptions to change with every experience, is a necessary root for the growth of any community towards a healthy and fulfilling existence. To further the awareness of basic issues that many of us are faced with daily, is often more powerful than brutal statistics, or gruesome images. To become involved in ones existing community, on a truly human level, is very effective in this. So what do we do? I don't go around trying to call meetings where we talk about all of the horrors effecting folks across the globe, and I don't try to impose my beliefs of who is unjust, but I do believe in sharing facts, knowledge, and wisdom about the things that bring challenges to our daily life, when relevancy is present; and how do we invite those moments where it is relevant to bring these things up? We become involved, and available to our fellow human beings.

In Detroit, we work with our own neighbors on a garden grown in our front and backyard. We are also working with both a public school as well as our own daughters private school to develop gardens on school property. These projects are not to grow the most or the best food, but rather aid in this building of consciousness. When we are outside working, we don't just sit in silence, slaving away over the crops. We talk to one another. Basic concepts, like the fact that one tiny seed has enough information in it to grow a strong plant which produces all of the yummy vegetables and fruits that we eat, are often over looked in an average urban child's life, yet these realizations lead to much deeper connections in all of us. If we concede that all of the aforementioned 'issues' do in fact exist, then we lose hope and find ourselves wondering how we can possibly bear the immense pain suffered by so many of our brothers and sisters. By living openly and connected to our community, we can create situations where we can see that these 'issues' don't actually infiltrate all realms of existence. We are then free to once again imagine that anything is possible, and that the structures that limit us depend on our believing in them to actually create any limitations in our own life or community.

The thing that Detroit was lacking most was a sense of community, and therefore, conscious citizens. As we move away from the idea that it is the governments role to take care of its citizens' basic necessities, and move towards a more conscious way of thinking; one which the individual people, families, and communities come together to provide the basics for themselves and each other, expecting nothing in return, except maybe a more fulfilling existence; we realize that we can build stronger local communities outside of, and no longer dependent on the current capitalistic structure. So go out and truly enjoy living, share the love that is within you with all of humanity.