[Terrapreta] WE ARE THE ONE

[lou gold]

Hi All,

I just posted this at my blog http://lougold.blogspot.com.

WE ARE THE ONE

The widely read NY Times columist Tom Friedman has a very interesting op-ed
in yesterday's edition, entitled "The People We Have Been Waiting For." In
it he talks about visting the young student generation of engineers at MIT
and witnessing their decision stop waiting for the elder generation to solve
the world's problems.

"... I got together with three engineering undergrads who helped launch the
Vehicle Design Summit — a global, open-source, collaborative effort, managed
by M.I.T. students, that has 25 college teams around the world, including in
India and China, working together to build a plug-in electric hybrid within
three years. Each team contributes a different set of parts or designs. I
thought writing for my college newspaper was cool. These kids are building a
hyper-efficient car, which, they hope, "will demonstrate a 95 percent
reduction in embodied energy, materials and toxicity from cradle to cradle
to grave" and provide "200 m.p.g. energy equivalency or better." The Linux
of cars!

They're not waiting for G.M. Their goal, they explain on their Web site —
vds.mit.edu — is "to identify the key characteristics of events like the
race to the moon and then transpose this energy, passion, focus and urgency"
on catalyzing a global team to build a clean car. I just love their tag
line. It's what gives me hope:

"We are the people we have been waiting for." Read it all
here<http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/02/opinion/02friedman.html?em&ex=1196830800&en=4d4e0c2855c8a227&ei=5070>
.

There are lots of ways to express our need for individual initiative and
collective responsibility. I've always loved to say, "WE are the ONE we've
been waiting for." But how it is said is not very important compared with
the sensibility that informs the words. For this, I always turn to the words
of the un-named Hopi Elder.

A Hopi Elder Speaks

"You have been telling the people that this is the Eleventh Hour. Now you
must go back and tell the people that this is the Hour, and there are things
to be considered:

Where are you living?
What are you doing?
What are your relationships?
Are you in right relation?
Where is your water?
Know your garden.
It is time to speak your Truth.
Create your community.
Be good to each other.
And do not look outside yourself for the leader."

"The Elder then clasped his hands together and said, This could be a good
time!"

"There is a river flowing now very fast. It is so great and swift that there
are those who will be afraid. They will try to hold on to the shore. They
will feel they are being torn apart and they will suffer greatly.

"Know the river has its destination. The Elders say we must let go of the
shore, push off into the middle of the river, keep our eyes open, and our
heads above the water. See who is in there with you and celebrate.

"At this time in history we are to take nothing personally, least of all
ourselves. For the moment that we do, our spiritual growth and journey comes
to a halt. The time of the lone wolf is over.

"Gather yourselves! Banish the word struggle from your attitude and your
vocabulary. All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in
celebration.

"We are the ones we've been waiting for. "

This statement began to appear on the eve of the Millenium and it has been
attributed at times to an individual and at times to a council. Or, maybe it
arrived in lots of people's minds. Figuring out the source is not as
important as acting on the message. What a blessing it is to know that this
is exactly what people are starting to do.
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