less, it was possible, even practical, which is why the farmer in overalls was there with his video camera, I suspect. But it was more than that. Judging from the positive energy that flowed through the fairgrounds, maybe it was even beneficial to live with less stuff.
That was not the judgement, of course, of the on-air pundits.
More drilling is freedom, they argued; increased dependence is independence. And so on. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. Everything in our daily lives shouts that it is not alright to live with less. Moreover, no one in a responsible social position, including Democrats, says anything to the contrary. And who could blame them? What politician in their right mind would run on a platform of less?
At the same time, we’re beginning to understand that there’s only a finite amount of more in our future. Take oil, for example; its production will likely peak in the next three-to-five years. Then there will be less and less of it. It’s the same with other precious (i.e. nonrenewable) natural resources. We are also beginning to see that more and more has begat serious consequences for the planet, including the climate change trouble we presently find ourselves in. We are beginning to see that Business-As-Usual is both unsustainable and destructive. We perceive, dimly, that we have to change things before things get changed for us.
But will we do more than burnish the rough edges of our behavior? I don’t know. As I said, it’s complicated. At least it’s comforting to know that 'seeds' of an agrarian alternative, such as horse power, are out there, being cultivated by knowing hands.
I pulled into the hotel parking lot.
At sundown, I drove to nearby Millersburg, the county seat, to watch the 4th-of-July fireworks. I parked near a bridge and meandered down to a big field where townsfolk sat in knots, talking quietly. I found a comfortable spot and settled in for the show, which turned out to be superb. As I watched the colorful explosions fill the darkening sky, I couldn’t help but think: we live in revolutionary times too. A different sort of tyranny is in charge, of course, two-hundred and thirty-two years later, requiring a different sort of liberation. But the goal is the same: independence. Liberty. And the pursuit of happiness.
All worth fighting for, I think.
Boy and Percherons, Horse Progress Days, 2008
