"High Time for a Cool Change"

Hey, HGTV! (And other broadcasters with similar

outdated programming!)

Times are tough, and people don't care about the 'woes'

of folks who 'only' have $ 6000,000 to spend on 

their home.

(Here's a hint: Millionaires don't really need help

finding a place to spend money.)

As housing becomes more unaffordable and just 

plain unavailable, and as people struggle with

finances and making ends meet....how about a

change of pace?

As our nation's homeless population continues 

to grow precipitously, how about making a 

positive impact on the country?

Maybe add a couple of shows where people living

in poverty or on the street are given a shot

at a new life? You could buy up cheap

auction houses (tax auctions, foreclosures, etc)

and have a volunteer crew come in to fix them up.

Get some appliance companies to donate items.

Building supply stores donate paint, drywall, etc.

Or maybe a different philanthropist donates a

small house for each episode's revamp.

Everybody loves a heart-warming story of the 

downtrodden making it, everybody likes to be

part of making a positive change, and there is soooo

much need right now.

You could even start a Crowdsourcing account 

to allow the public to contribute to fund-raising efforts 

for each of the renovations.

Instead of reveling in excesses, we'd love

to see just how cheaply and easily you can

turn some hurting people's lives around!

***

Innovation Nation

JOIN THE REVOLUTION!

A new day is dawning

RECYCLING (Re-use, Reduce waste, support 

Recycling programs.)

     RECLAMATION of still-viable materials,

unused goods & buildings.

REDUCTION of spending, consumerism, 

clutter, possessions.

RETHINKING living space, dwellings, 

politics, lifestyle, beliefs,

communities, societal resources.

RE-PURPOSING, REFURBISHING, 

RENOVATION: Make use of what we 

already have on hand; Find new uses.

REPLENISHING ourselves and others, 

our environment, and the animals we

share the planet with. Protect, preserve,

repair.

RESOURCEFULNESS: Efficient, self-

sustaining, networking, shared resources.

REDUCTION in spending, eating, 

consumption, escapism, stress,

time spent on electronic devices.

RETURN to active lifestyles, connected 

communities, looking out for one 

another, simplicity.

RENEWABLE energy and smarter usage 

of resources; wind and solar power, 

saving rain water, better landscaping, 

conserving energy, better energy sources.

RELEASE from all the division we have 

been fed, release from fear and worry 

and prejudice.

REALIZING that we are all in this

together, and ALL our citizens

deserve respect, care, and protection.

(Ending homelessness, police violence,

sexual assault, poverty, child abuse,

vet and elder neglect, & much more.)

The Time is Now.

Join the REVOLUTION as all these

movements converge as One:

REBUILDING the System.

***

Course Correction & Reinvention

When living daily life. we don't

always pick up on changes that occur over significant

time. So it can catch us by surprise when we

wake up and realize that a particular way of life is no more.

 It's disconcerting to say the least.

And when we find ourselves smack dab in the center of

changes we weren't prepared for, which there are no

immediately evident solutions to, it can be stressful. After

all, ordinary life is enough of a strain without flipping

the script mid-season. 

People are creatures of habit: We learn a particular way

of doing things, or we grow accustomed to a pattern that

is comfortable and predictable. We don't all have 

backup plans for unexpected changes, such as

entire industries dying off, rampant downsizing, jobs

being sent overseas, stagnant wages, your once-dependable

benefits and retirement plans being lost, etc.

So here we are, struck by unexpected problems and

differences in the daily grind, and our old methods of response 

are no longer working. Shock and disbelief, confusion, even

grief are natural reactions. 'Fixed thinking' can become so much

a part of us that we feel as if we're losing a piece of ourself

to change it. Again--we are creatures of habit.

First we have to come to terms with what has happened, and 

realize the need for a shift in our thinking to respond.

 If what used to work is no longer effective, then we

must search for new ways to respond. And that first

means opening up our minds to the possibilities that are 

available, including ones we might never have imagined.

Changing the way we think and act is a more gargantuan 

task than it appears on paper. Reshaping the way we think 

about life, problems, work, the way we deal with 

money and housing and...well, it's daunting. There's a certain

amount of security in doing things the old way...

even after we realize they're no longer effective responses. 

So opening the mind to a need for change, and 

then seeking that change are first on the 'To do' list.

We are adaptive beings, when necessary. When the whole 

world undergoes a change at once, like in a world war or 

significant disaster, we have a shared experience to relate to. 

But when only you have your life turned upside down, and

everyone else is moving ahead with business as usual, it's

easy to become lost and lonely. The Unknown is scary business.

Softening ourselves up so that we are more receptive to

new and different ideas takes time. Effort. Consistency. 

And patience.

In order to become who we need to be in order to

successfully weather changes in the natural order,

we have to become malleable. We have to be open to 

reinventing ourselves...and our society as a whole.

Transformation is not easy.

That which is vital to survival never is.

***

Stronger Together: Not all traditions are bad!

The face and composition of 'communities' is in desperate need
of changing. People are more isolated than ever, absorbed into
electronic devices or running from one task to the next so there's 
no time for connection. Families within the same house tend not
to spend quality time together. We've all become independent 
islands amidst an ocean of other islands.

But the seeds of change are being nurtured.

Interest is there for a different way of doing things. People are
tired of the disconnect. Tired of feeling like a stranger in their 
own physical location for whatever reason that might be. (For
me, it's about not fitting in with the area I live either politically,
spiritually, sexually, culturally, etc.)

We know that we don't trust our government, now more than 
ever. We don't trust big business. We don't even trust the men 
and women who are supposed to be dedicated to preserving law,
order, and justice. 

There's division within the world, the country, the state, the city,
our neighborhoods, our families, and even our own homes. So 
where do we find solace? How do we find grounding in a world 
where gravity seems to have lost its hold?

Communities of choice.

Being mindful and directed enough to seek out and select a
family or community where we surround ourselves with people
we share commonalities with...and not merely our safe old 
stand-by selection processes of 'race,' orientation, gender, 
economic status, and so on. 

The way it stands now...

We are finally at a critical stage in human development where 
we are moving past that. Realizing that our very survival depends
on progression and advancement, not stagnation. The old ways 
don't work any more. We are all in this fight together, and those
who see that and act accordingly are the shapers of tomorrow.

We are coming to realize that the 'independent spirit' of America,
while it has its place, went a bit too far. We humans definitely are
pack animals, and that basic primal need is still in us. Just because
we know we can't trust the people we were told we could (religious
leaders, pillars of the community, politicians, sometimes even our
own families) doesn't mean we have to stop trusting everyone.

There was a time when people in a community had devotion to
one another. Where the idea of 'communal living' was a standard
means of living, not some fearful notion. Life is tremendously hard, 
and in order to survive, we all need people on our side, working 
towards that same mutual goal of survival.

Together we are stronger than we are separately. And as we 
become more and more aware of how ALL of our struggles are
really connected...as we get over the pettiness of splitting hairs 
and focusing on differences...we will see that joining together 
is the only way that all of us outliers and disenfranchised have a 
chance of dealing with those who are out to harm us. Because you
best believe that those folks are working their networking skills
like champs.

***

Wide Open Spaces

Older(ish) folks are becoming more interested in exploring 
and experiencing life than living comfortably situated in the
same space year after year. They're tired of lawn maintenance
and paying property taxes. Tired of neighbors they can't stand
and being tied down to a money pit rather than having flexibility
and control over their time.

People are also losing interest in traditional work spaces, or 
work spaces all together. As tech advances and jobs change,
the possibility for many of working from 'home' (wherever 
that might be) is more common.

And when people eliminate a large house and all of the costs
associated with one, the demand for a higher income is reduced,
making temp jobs and other forms of income (including owning
your own business) a doable option.

Retirees want to be able to travel and come and go as they 
please. Millennials are bucking the expectancy of their being
the 'inactive' screen-obsessed generation by becoming more 
involved, and escaping from the comfortable domesticity of 
the suburbs. 

The desire to flip the dynamic of comfortable, staid, restricted
living is generating entire new lifestyles, jobs, industries...
People are more and more interested in rewriting their story
rather than just accepting the norm. Revolution is afoot.

***

Housing 2.0

Another great trending alternative to traditional homes

and apartments has been the school bus conversion practice.

In addition to outrageous pricing in rental property (either 

apartment or house living) there is another awful obstacle

involved for those of us who are pet owners.

The restrictions against the number of animals and the size 

of the animals that tenants are allowed to have have become

standard due to insurance costs. Or at least, that's what leasers

are saying is the reason. 

As far back as 2003, when I was looking for rental 

housing around the Tampa area, I could not find ANY place that 

would take me because of my large-breed dogs. The place I 

finally located was inconveniently far away. in a neighborhood 

that wasn't safe, and with a ridiculously high security deposit.

So, one great solution (for pet owners in particular) is to have

complete control over the rules of your environs. Having a 

mobile living space that you own is the perfect way to do so.

In my search for a bus to convert, I have found that there

are many different conditions of bus available, and of

course just as much variation in price for the differences

in product.

You can find a bus in varying levels of completion/ working

order based on (of course) what finances you have available, 

as well as what your mechanical skills/building abilities are.

But if you're not trying to have the hippest, most

mod bus in existence, you can find a whole spectrum of 

usable buses. For those of us just needing adequate shelter 

this is a great option. (Besides--animals destroy everything 

anyway, so..)

Freedom of how you live and where to live is increasingly

important, so until we arrive at a shortage of available school 

buses due to increased demand, this option still rocks.

What would be awesome is if an entrepreneur of a philanthropic

nature were to set up a business where they buy up used school

buses, spruce them up modestly with a crew of homeless or

poor folks with the appropriate skills, and, Habitat-for-Humanity

style, set up the very people who do the work with a bus-home

of their own.

If you have the money or the space to donate, I can help make

it happen. Any takers?

*** 

Simplicity, itself

Out with the old!

Ideas like Feng Shui have been in use in our
country for a while now, sometimes more in vogue
 (read: 'fad') than others. But as times and the world
around us become more and more complicated, 
people's brains are seeking means of controlling
the things they can: Their immediate environment.

Cutting out clutter has been the focus of some
Americans for a while now. Whether inspired by 
spiritual beliefs of an Eastern nature, being scared
by watching episodes of "Hoarders," or being 
inspired by the great George Carlin bit on 'Americans
and their stuff,' clearing out one's space has been
a steadily growing idea.

The idea of having a less-crowded, more-simplified
living space in order to produce a less-stressed, 
more-relaxed person is a great one. Getting the 
American public to give up purchasing 'stuff'
after decades of having their identity made to
seem dependent on said stuff...that's taken 
some time to change.

  

But, the more distressed people become, and the more 

powerless they feel about what's happening in the world,

I imagine more will find solace in reducing their belongings.

In recent years, the 'tidying up' and 'purging' movements

have picked up more steam, in part thanks to endorsements 

like Oprah Winfrey's. But even before this, we were seeing 

trends like 'life coaching' and 'professional organizing'

becoming more popular.

It takes time for concepts to spread and for people to 

become open to the changing of mind and habit...but 

we're getting there.

***

Housing

A huge, growing trend in the last decade has been the 'tiny 

home movement,' which arose due to a number of factors.

Affordable housing continues to dwindle, even as wages remain

stagnant. This has led to an epidemic of homelessness in the U.S.

 (and around the world.) Lack of available housing led many

to seek alternatives to traditional (or standardized) ideas 

about dwelling spaces. But it's more than just price reduction.

Americans are increasingly becoming disinterested in the

trap of consumerism, and seek to simplify their lives by 

reducing the number of their possessions. Having a much

smaller space in which to store 'Things' makes that goal

infinitely easier to achieve.

Out of necessity, folks without the means to jump into a full-scale

tiny-home had been finding themselves living in metal buildings,

sales of which had gone up as more and more were becoming

emboldened to take to that lifestyle. Needless to say, in our 

prestige-obsessed society, living in metal buildings was not as 

warmly-received by the media or the general public as folks

living in adorable, custom-built, trend-following homes.

There was definitely a stigma attached to people who were

'living in their shed/garage.' Baby steps.

As people become more comfortable with bucking the

traditional, limited way of approaching life, not only does

a particular trend gain steam but it also opens the doors to

other progressive ideas. We are--and will be--seeing all kinds

of innovation in our housing realities. It all starts with 

opening our minds to new housing concepts.

***

A New Frontier

Americans find themselves on the precipice of an entirely new

way of life nowadays, as our society and culture continue to

undergo significant transformation .

This blog won't be about politics. It won't get into the blistering

debates and division that we have seen escalating in this land for

the past several years--A division which ardently threatens to

worsen considerably before being resolved.

Many of us from my generation (I was born in 1969) never thought

life would undergo such a drastic transformation in our lifetime.

But here we are, with severe economic shifts, job market changes,

housing shortages, income inequality, and many other related problems

converging to make survival a different kind of beast than we've 

experienced.

Here is where I will promote Ideas, Inspiration, Innovations, and 

(hopefully) Insights into what we will need in order to get through

this vastly unrecognizable world. My hope is that those of you drawn 

here will have ideas to share as well, because together we can concoct

the best solutions to the issues we all are facing.

Jump on in!

-Robert Sayre,  3/13/18

***