A Country of Shifting Values

So who decided the monetary value of a young banker CEO and the monetary value of a young virtuoso violinist? It sort of boggles my mind to think both are playing with intangibles. When did everything become an issue of productivity as it is equated to financial gain? A year ago, as I started my research regarding the components of eco-villages, I had a soul stirring moment.

Think about this. If you, the reader, applied to become a member of an eco-village and was asked what talents you brought to the community, what could you site as a contribution? Do you garden? Do you know about permaculture? Can you identify wild plants and their uses? Do you know techniques for food preservation? Do you know how to build, install, and maintain alternative forms of energy? Do you know how to build alternative forms of shelter, i.e., straw bale, sandbag, yurts, adobe, earthen homes, etc. Do you know how to construct ponds? Install pumps for wells? Do you paint? Do you spin or weave? Do you sew? Do you sing? Play an instrument? Dance?

The needs of an eco-village are very different than the needs of urban cities. Eco-villages need people willing to live fully with the earth which every one of us is able to do. Think about that retirement hobby and it's probably what you'd bring as your contribution.