Taking technology for granted LO11370

Sherri Malouf (sherri@maloufinc.com)
Wed, 11 Dec 1996 13:44:14 -0500

I live in Southern New Hampshire which received a big one-two punch this
last weekend in the form of two snow storms. The elctricity company of NH
has stated publicly that they have never had to deal with a snow storm
which wreaked such destruction. I was without electricity for three days
and phones were off and on. Let me be explicit about the impact -- no
heat, no running water, no lights, no contact with others. We have a wood
stove so were able to heat, cook, and melt snow for water -- and of course
lots of candles. Ah -- how we take the little things for granted -- like
flushing a toilet. My life is not designed to have time for melting snow
to wash dishes or my hair! No hair dryer! One client got to see me with
an unusual hair style -- I have never used curlers before! Crews came
from all over New England and Canada to help us out. Plumbers and
restaurants are making out like bandits -- not to mention the hardware
stores and battery sales. There were no precooked foods like the bbq'd
chicken left in markets on Monday night and they were almost out of water.
Most who lost electricity did so sometime on Saturday evening.

We in NH are used to snow but I have never in my life seen anything like
what happened here last weekend. Trees have suffered unimaginably -- the
destruction is incredible.

One thing that occurs to me is that we live in a very delicate balance
which we take for granted. In fact we are naive or arrogant or both about
the services and commodities available to us. Local demand for SURVIVAL
goods soon outstripped what was in stock.

Many people in the world live day in and day out without running water,
heat, or all of things we take for granted. We talk about the impact of
the internet on the world -- I am sorry but this has been a humbling
experience. Running water for many would revolutionize their lives. When
talking about world change I just want to remind folks that *our* world
which allows *us* the privelage of interacting over the internet is the
MINORITY.

Deep community would mean we know conditions elsewhere. I lived in Great
Britain for 8 years. I loved the awareness of the world that is present
there because of their history. I missed it when I moved back to the US.
The awareness in the US of the rest of the world is soley dependent upon
the possible effect another country's situations may have on us. Or
disasters because they make good news. We are blind to the many other
versions of the world for others with whom we share the planet.

Deep community, mental models, symbiosis, internet relationships, shifting
paradigms... What as a species are we missing? What are we not seeing?
While I do not think I share At's sense of catasrophy -- with the little
he has said about it -- I do believe we need to make a major shift -- and
soon.

With great caring,

Sherri
sherri@maloufinc.com Tel:603-672-0355
LMA, Inc Fax:603-673-7120

"I close my eyes only for a moment and the moment is gone." -Kansas
"Do something beautiful today for God." Mother Theresa 

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sherri@maloufinc.com (Sherri Malouf)
 


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