Talking Our Walk
From the Editors



Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.
~ Kirpal Singh

So here it is, the holidays, and the twin emotions of anticipation and anxiety are running high. Heck of a time for the world to be in economic turmoil, isn’t it?

However bleak the financial forecast may be, we needn’t get caught up in the panic; rather, we can consider this to be a
fortuitous turn of events. Not to dismiss the short-term discomfort, I feel that this is a necessary corrective measure. I really believe that this will ultimately result in a long overdue overhaul to our entire financial system, whereby we will have a more equitable distribution of the wealth. It’s time we get back to the basic kindergarten lesson: Share with your neighbors. There has always been enough to go around. There is no justification for anyone on this planet to ever go hungry, homeless or be deprived of healthcare due to a lack of resources.

The economic engine has been fueled by exploitative, self-serving motives for decades, and it has now finally seized up. It had to. The so-called leading economic indicators are always about more: new housing starts, orders of durable goods, retail sales, etc. As witnesses to our planet’s destruction, we know that this “shampoo economics” (manufacture, consume, dispose, repeat) cannot go on unchecked. The days of the perpetual growth economy are over. We must, and I believe we will, develop a sustainable economy. If for no reason other than the financial upheaval, “business as usual” is no longer an option. Americans especially, needed a wake-up call and we are hearing the alarm. We are the change.

The 2008 Presidential Election is testament to this. Whether your candidate won or not, this was a monumental day in U.S. history -- and for the world. I do not think it an overstatement to say that the November 4th results restored the principles upon which this country was founded – the promise and hope for equal opportunity for all Americans. Finally, this barrier built upon prejudice, was bulldozed. No longer do we have to wonder if or when an African-American could be elected to our nation’s highest office. That discussion is OVER.

Barack Obama is the Jackie Robinson of the 21st century. Just as few people can name the second African-American to play Major League Baseball, come next election, it won’t make any difference if the candidates are white, black or purple. And some day soon, I hope we lose that divisive hyphen. African-American, Irish-American, Italian-American, etc., are basically outdated labels that divide, rather than unite Americans. Beyond that, my vision is that eventually all borders will be erased and we will all simply be citizens of planet earth, free to come and go where and when we please.

In Peace & Gratitude,