THE GARDEN OF EDEN (or Not, as the case might be)
by the Editor
I did think that a Garden of Eden topic was a good way to greet the new decade, and might chivvy out some sensuous beliefs from people about how the world could be a more pleasurable place (for everybody! right now! no waiting! nobody on the bottom! yes!), but you know, I think everybody is pretty worn out by this last, majorly unpleasant, ten years. Mat Capper and Hecate Kantharsis (yes, I know, but she insisted on that name, apparently it's not a good idea for engineers to blog about their jobs under their real name) are quite rightfully (and hilariously) annoyed. BJ Beauchamp is bemused, as is E.E. King. Ralph Dartford is exasperated. David Horowitz is, as usual, beautifully lucid and wistful for a better world. Harvey Lillywhite joins him there.
Really, only Brian Griffith , in looking at myths about a Chinese Golden Age, speaks up at all for what I was hoping everyone would speak up for–that the Garden of Eden is not a myth, it could be a reality. And really, given that, what are we all waiting for?
I guess first of all, we may all think, deep down, that a happier better life a.) doesn't exist and b.) would entail too many responsibilities that we're not up to if it did. I'm thinking about a lovely woman, a credit to her community in so many ways, who told me the other day that what was wrong with this country was the PROTESTORS. "Whoa," I said, somewhat taken aback. "I'm one of those protestors." Oh, she said, backing off in that charmingly American neighborly way you find in rural America, "I don't mean protestors now. I mean the Viet Nam protestors."
"I was one of THOSE protestors, too. I mean, I was a little young to do much, but…"
"You don't think it did any good, do you?" she said accusingly. "There will always be wars!"
"Well, there will always be murderers, I suppose," I agreed. "But I'm under the impression it's a good thing to try to stop them anyway, what do you think?"
We laughed and passed it off, but the brief exchange certainly was enlightening. We're not supposed to try to make things better because there isn't any possibility of them being better. Oh, well. Better pack up now, then, and just go out and shop to forget about the whole thing. I guess.
Or not. Or maybe not. Maybe we can change that story. What if we did? What if the story wasn't that the Garden of Eden was some lost paradise, closed to us by our own sin…what if it was that the Garden of Eden was all around us, but we fell asleep one day and dreamed a violent dream of somewhere else? What if the story was we could all wake up, and then set to work cultivating our garden, making it grow? How about we don't think too much about outside the confines of what we can do, like my friend who thinks protests do nothing but upset people, just get to work on what we have in front of us, with the people we love, and the talents we have. Let's be courteous even under pressure. Let's be cheerful but relentless in a search for fairness for all. Let's be loving, let's be powerful, let's stop thinking it's a choice between being loving OR powerful, let's know we not only can, but we must, be both. Above all, let's be practical. Let's make sure we and our loved ones have something nice to eat and then join with others to make sure THEY have something nice to eat. (And by the way, if you want a good recipe for split pea soup , go to JAM TODAY. ..) Let's get on with it. If you're reading this, if you're even with me so far, you're not entirely ashamed to imagine something as nice as that. It's not a fairy tale! Or rather, it IS a fairy tale (see Todblog this issue, come to think of it), and three cheers for fairy tales (yep, definitely see Todblog )! Tell yourself and your loved ones a good one tonight. And sleep well and warm after so we can get up tomorrow and get on with it (with joy) for another day.
Welcome back.