Hard Work Ahead

I have always been impressed at how easy my life has been compared to my ancestors. I am especially humbled to have seen a small town in Washington State carved out of the forest by my great-grandfather (among others) over 100 years ago.

Up until now, I couldn't imagine myself hewing down huge trees day after day, sawing them into logs, and so forth. But I am changing. The economic system that gave me and so many others the 'good life' for so long is failing. I don't think it will go all to pieces in one go, but there will never again be as much affluence and leisure as there was in North America from 1950-2000.

I am faced with the prospect of being a global economic citizen competing for a global income ($10,000 per year or so) with billions of other hard-working souls. We won't be working just a few hours per day for this either, but 10 or more hours every day of the week. It's a daunting prospect. At present, I don't really have the energy for it, but I am working on getting myself fit enough and accustomed enough to constant work that I can manage it.

I see many others around me very much not ready for this - whether from being out-of-shape, having various 'medical' conditions, or being just plain lazy. Many of them are on the dole, or involved in some sort of income-producing racket that makes minimal demands on their efforts. There is probably no helping most of them as times get harder and harder.

For the rest who are willing to change, the prognosis is not so bad. For those who are willing to make the effort, there will always be the rewards of hard work. In the future, being housed and fed will feel like enough.