Yesterday I posted a Fourth of July Blog leading into the work I’m doing through Wellness Without Walls LifeLong Learning Series at Webster Univ. here in WingHaven. Staying true to my vision of a world of deeper learning, loving, and living through experiential life learning I want to start by saying our American Dream is not an abstract idea for the future, rather, it is a seed in all of us that needs to be cultivated now, growing today, producing immediately. Because as long as we have millions of our fellow citizens living below the poverty line on the streets in squalor, without jobs, adequate medical care, or good schools we have work to do. As long as we have adults waking up every day facing incredible hardships, little hope for a better tomorrow, the dream is dying or dead in them and our Declaration of Independence is not living up to its promise to the people.
In the 21st century when we think about it, isn’t it untenable, unacceptable to me anyway, to think about the issues we face in this country today given the intellectual prowess, natural wealth, incredible capacity here to not have more of the American Dream a reality to all of the citizens of this country. Because let there be no ‘illusion' here; a Free Society is NOT:
· A political and social system designed to overwhelm everyone.
· A community that would defy objective examination of moral or economic effects on the social order they want to protect.
· A place where public questioning and disagreement is not tolerated. . .or there would be social, economic ostracism, social harm and imprisonment.
· A highly contagious massive paranoia feeding on the hysteria, biased media, power hungry politicians.
· An otherwise sensible and rational people getting caught up in the conformity and believe the sheer insanity of justifying one right way, or definitive answer.
Or, if it is, that would be an illusion of a so-called enlightened society not to mention and illusion of independence. Think about the words of Thomas Wolfe, You Can’t Go Home Again on the advent of the Great Depression:
“I believe that we are lost here in America, but I believe we shall be found. I think the true discovery of America is before us. . .I think the enemy is here before us, too. I think the enemy is single selfishness and compulsive greed. . .I think he took our people and enslaved them, that he polluted the fountains of our life, took unto himself the rarest treasures of our own possession, took our bread and left us with a crust.”
Walt Disney on the other hand remembered his childhood education encouraging him to take advantage of his talents on the advent of the Great Depression. In his words he wanted to create a community of the arts and built a bridges of True Life Adventure for himself and the world out of these barriers. Disney growing up in Missouri, also had a dream to re-create the All American Dream based on his home town of Marceline. New Town, here in St. Charles county, was part of recreating his childhood experiential education.
I’m not old enough to remember the Great Depression of the 1930’s. I recall with painful clarity, however, the fall of 2008 resulting in large measure from a grand illusion. Despite the odds, and knowing a fearful or selfish people cannot be free I launched Wellness without Walls in O'Fallon in September of that year. And because of my over confidence, bull-headed nature, and reassurance of leaders like Walt Disney,we are launching The LifeLong Learning Series beginning August 10 through August 25 to kick off our co-creating healthy communities right here in WingHaven. I'm convinced community is the bigger solution to our problems today, because it is one of the best ways I know to open minds to new the possibilities before us for a highly innovative, independent ‘artful’ community concepts free of illusion for the future NOW!
For more details, contact information and other upcoming venues click on the tab for contacts and events, and let me hear from you.
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