Veering Toward Regenerative Paths

Modern Culture is currently comprised of an uncounted number of individuals on a shared path to self destruction. I noticed this first in my teens and had my first bout of illness caused by this realization. I began veering ever more remarkably off this path toward another path, a regenerative path, through my twenties. The illness relapsed many times during the decades since, costing me family, friendships and livelihood.

By now I have come to acknowledge that it is not I who am or was ever ill, though I had and still sometimes have symptoms of this illness.

I have been one of the sane, who has been influenced by many voices trying to convince me into believing that my desires and efforts to veer toward another path have been bad and wrong. That I was bad and wrong.

You may resonate with this. If you are reading this, you may at least have an inkling. If you are buzzing with YES, ME TOO, as you read, then please, do get in touch with me. I am just one of a growing number of cultural creatives, edgeworkers, evolutionaries and there are probably more in your vicinity than you may yet be aware.

We are everywhere, veering.

We are connecting online and in person. We are initiating ourselves and each other, reengineering the memes of Modern Culture. Finding each our own new way.

Conscious anger, sadness, fear and joy guide us from within.

As we veer, those around us, our families, friends, co-workers and children sometimes still see us as crazy. Yet we go on, veering as much for them as for ourselves.

Veering against the grain has cost, is costing many of us “everything.” Modern Culture has had room for “visionaries” and “change makers” who tow the capitalist, political lines, but not so much for outright evolutionary renegades.

In matters of responsibility, we have been known to make radical stands, even when “it’s not our job,” and so we have sometimes lost jobs.

We have challenged the “good” of what is “right” and the “bad” of what is “wrong,” attentive as we are to causes and consequences, unable to be satisfied with “solutions” that don’t account for messes and casualties that are missed.

We tend to notice the consequences of choices made and actions taken by those assuming power over others, and also by those assuming others have power over them. We tend to say things about that. Often people in said power positions have then justified using their power to do things that make consequences for us. We have often had our parental rights, union rights, tenant’s and landlord’s rights, citizen’s rights, human rights… violated.

No wonder we have figured out how to source livelihood, authority, belonging and transformation within.

We do not want this only for ourselves.

We can’t do it for anyone but ourselves.

We can not stop anyone.

We share the results of our experiments openly. We tell radically responsible stories about the costs we have missed and paid. Perhaps those coming after us will thus find less costly ways.

Now that I have experienced this regenerative path I can say that veering off it costs me more than veering off the path of collective self destruction ever did.

It is hard to admit this while my own children, friends and family do not yet show clear signs that they no longer think I am crazy, bad and wrong. I have faith they are finding their ways. We might, after all be on the same path. While I can’t be sure, I miss them.

I have had many terrifying fears to face and feel as I reengineered my intellectual, emotional and even my physical body, and transformed into something new. I am not done with doing that, but I am done with not doing it.

As the remarkable year of 2020 fades into the past, and this new year begins, many are considering what path they will find themselves upon in another year.

Many are noticing this Modern Culture path leads to self destruction. Many more are acknowledging that they are willing to pay the cost of veering, and are veering, and are looking for and finding others with whom to veer.

May we transform our ways into finding each other on regenerative paths in 2021.

It would be extraordinary.