Diamond-Cut Life

We’ve got lots of blame, anger and flat-out fear flying around in reaction to the collapse of giants like Merrill Lynch — and also the government/taxpayers bailing them out.  I’m feeling calm this morning, myself, which makes it a good time to write.  What does it mean that all these profitable companies, these diamonds, are turning to dust?

I’m convinced we’ve been identifying the diamonds incorrectly all along.  I mean that as a culture, we have been chasing after easy credit, high stock dividends no matter the long-term cost, and the biggest houses we can possibly afford (or not afford). Those types of diamonds will reliably turn to dust, because they’re inherently not sustainable. Nothing in the natural world grows endlessly without dying and being transformed, and much as we forget, we are actually a part of the natural world.

The real diamond is quality of life, not just for ourselves here in the present, but for the generations following us. How much time do we get to spend with our families? How healthy is the food we’re eating, and did it come from a local farmer who treats the land well? Does our neighborhood have a grocery store, park or library within walking distance? Do we have the choice of taking transit to get to work, or do we have to own a costly car in order to support ourselves (and support the car)? Do we like our jobs, and are we contributing to something bigger than ourselves? Harder to measure but most crucial of all for the future: is our carbon footprint getting bigger or smaller?

We should be working passionately for quality of life things like the above, and encouraging others who are working for them, and not give in to angst over the diamonds-to-dust story-lines around us. Easy credit and huge profits were there yesterday, gone today, but there are much better things we can have — that can actually last.

Attitudes and behavior are contagious. What are we saying to each other

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