h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This is something I *try* to have. Not that I always succeed, but I do try! The *trying* to me is the important thing (sorry Yoda!) because it is necessary to counter the tendencies to paranoia that I have. So, I try and believe that there is a good future for me, for other people, for humanity, for the planet. If I did not try - I would give in to the paranoia and I would fall into a bottomless pit of despair.

And it is difficult sometimes to maintain a positive attitude when so much seems to be wrong with the world. Every newspaper I read proclaims horror stories. But it's not just the newspaper. I can simply walk out my door and see some awful things. For instance the street children begging at the intersections. It is very, very obvious that those children are living like no children ought to live.

And it is not good to be in denial of problems. Problems are real. In my country, it is unquestionably the case that there are some very bad situations. There is unquestionably a lot of environmental destruction. This too I can plainly see just by driving around. There are species going extinct - this too I know, there's a species of plant at present that's going extinct in my own neighbourhood, and of all the populations I knew of only one remains of which I recently was able to find no more than four or five remaining plants. And this - to me - is incredibly bad. It is almost impossible to express just what a horror the extinction of an entire species is to me. WE are a species. Imagine if WE became extinct. I'm sorry but that is a horror to me. I think every species is immeasurably precious - us included. It's true that species become extinct over the course of nature and are replaced by new ones that evolve - and that's the thing - we are now wiping species out a thousand times faster than evolution could replace them. So we are impoverishing the Earth, plain and simple.

Then there's pollution. Air pollution - and in some towns you can actually see this - and water pollution, which does kill people, not even to mention animals and plants.

Then there's the sheer uglification of the landscape. So sue me - I'm an artist. I know what unspoilt nature looks like - it's wonderfully beautiful - and I can see how much in how many places this has been spoilt by human 'development'. I'm not anti-development. But I'm pro-aesthetics. And most 'development' pays no heed whatsoever to aesthetics. Mine heaps are ugly but profitable. If people actually thought in terms of natural shapes and colours and textures and made mine heaps to blend in with the natural aesthetics, then they would not be ugly and would not be blots on the landscape - but who the hell does that? So we're stuck with them - and other horrible ugly scabs on what once were beautiful landscapes.

Then when we get to humans and our little world there are problems like: ignorance (massively worse than anyone realises), crime (rape, murder, assault, robbery - and all of those are nightmarish. Even robbery - imagine poor people losing what few possessions they have in life ... not cool), and POVERTY ... this is a soul-crushing phenomenon ... and let's not forget disease, every kind of health problem up to AIDS and cancer. These are major and real problems, and they exist in spades ... in my country and in the rest of the world.

So: there seems to be much to be negative about. It is hard to be positive when faced with all this ...

... unless your attitude becomes one of OVERCOMING the negative THROUGH the positive. Every one of the problems above also DEFINES something positive. Once a problem is identified, one knows about something that could be IMPROVED. With all of the problems I note - and think of others I did not note - there is pretty much something for *everybody* to do something about. Whoever you are - you have certain talents, certain interests, certain opportunities, certain means at your disposal, to make a positive difference to one of these problems. Maybe, more than one - in which case great! But even one will do. And even just a small contribution will do. If enough people tackle these problems we'll start making headway with them. It's not even necessary that everybody works at them. Some people will not. A certain number of human beings simply will refuse to cooperate to try and make things better, while a certain number will, no matter what you do, actively work to make things worse. But that is fine. I think there will be more who would be willing to make things better - that is my own positivity or optimism, but I think it is warranted. Humans - most humans - do have a sense of what is good and fair and admirable. So there will be some people who will be scumbags whatever the costs - that is fine, let them, just work against them. Just do your own bit of good. Don't feel that as an individual what you do will make no difference. It WILL make a difference, and just a little bit of difference, if the difference is a GOOD difference, counts all the same.

What needs to be combated is the idea that individuals are inherently selfish. This is not true, otherwise no babies would ever grow up, and no human societies let alone civilisations would have arisen. Humans have amply proven through history that they can help each other - whether helping one's own children, one's friends or family, or other people of one's tribe or one's people or one's nation. But we are today in an even better position, to actually realise that humans could as easily be seen as a single, global family. We are now in a position to realise that earlier more tribe-centric views were too narrow and limited, we are in a better position than ever to rise above racism or ethnocentrism. So we actually are today better equipped than ever to work together GLOBALLY. And it comes naturally to those who try. Think of how we are here operating a global kind of networking site ... think of other such sites ... it is now easier than ever to make friends all over the world. So don't for a second believe that selfishness and short-sightedness is an inevitable feature of humanity. It isn't! It is FUN to cooperate with other people ... it makes one HAPPY to help other people. The idea of inherent human selfishness is a holdover of more biased times, and it is sort of entrenched in many economic views - but it is not an inalterable feature nature has bestowed on us. Those ideas are what are holding us back at the moment. If we discard them - and we can and should discard them as readily as we should discard old, dirty and ragged undergarments - then NOTHING is holding us back. Imagine if people widely believed that humans are naturally benevolent towards each other ... by nature disposed towards helping each other and enriching each others lives!

And what if we took this further than humans? What if we had the same benevolent attitudes towards other living beings also? Towards the planet in its ecological aspect? What if we strove towards love and truth and beauty? I would argue that this is much, much more natural than the shortsighted maximising of one's own interests against others. If we actually cooperate, we would create a situation where each of us could get infinitely more than if we were all fighting against each other for rapidly dwindling resources ... those resources dwindling *precisely because* of our shortsighted way of 'exploiting' them. It is a matter of chosing a win-win situation above a lose-lose situation.

I am positive in that the win-win situation seems to me both infinitely desirable against the alternative ... and also, actually attainable ... and I optimistically believe that most people on this planet are, if sufficiently informed, able to see things the same way.

Thanks for that, Willem. I've been feeling sort of down myself, the last couple of days.

You go, friend.

Hi Dmitri! I'm very happy if this made you feel a bit better! And thanks for your friendship!

If you manage to be positive it will rub off on others - that's my conviction, so you go, Willem!

Definitely, you go, Willem!

lil xx

Hi Willem,

Well, I have surfaced once again. I keep having delicate little strokes, which fortunately I can exercise and eat and draink liquid i.e. agua pur a, which keep me healthy, !1

they also apper not to leave me with any more serious disability which is fortunate, I suppose that one day one will catch me unawares, but I am determined to hang on as long as I can.

I have suddenly remembered that mty youngest brother who lives in fEW yORK, has bought a large tract of land outside Graaff Reinet and is busy restoring the area into what it was in the "good old "days. " i.e. lots of game- FOR pROTECTION - and indigenous plants. I wonder if it is anywhere near you.?

He has always been a most postive guy and besides keeping me which he has done ever since my husband died in 1986, he has several pther things which he is doing.

U an keeping very well,m and fortunately the brain esxercises which I do at least two or three times a day are keeping me in a reasonabl y sensible situation. Occasionally I do strange things, but as yert have not done a LaDT GIDUVA EFFORT WHERE i LIVE. tOO COLD HERE. !!

gO WELL DEAR FRIEND, AND i HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU SOON THAT YOU ARE FIT AND WELL.

wITH AFFECTION
AND PLEASE FORGIVE THE TYPYING ERRORS. !!
aLSOrAN 83 NEARLY 84!!
tUESDAY 29TH mARCXH 2012 15.00 gmt

hI MY DEAR lIL,


WELL ONCDS AGAIN i YHAVE RETURNED. !!! iT SEEMS STRANGE THE AMBIVALENT LIFE i AM LEADING. oN THE ONE HAND OCCASIONALLY TOTALLY COMPUS MENTIS, AND SOMETIMES LIVING IN A DREAM WORLD. !!

i AM ACTUALLY REALLY VERY HAPPY AND CAN ONLY REMEMBER ALL TYE WONDERF8L TYHINGS WHICH HAVE HAPPENED IN MY LIFE. tOMORROW, HOWEVER, I AM GOING TO BE EXAMINED BY T HE FEARSOME DOCTOR WHO IS GOING TO ASK ME LOTS OF QUETIONS TO FIND OUT IF I AM A GERIATRIC CASE OR NOT. !! I HOPE THAT THEY WILL AT LEAST LET ME HAVE A SAY AS WELL. I DO NOT MIND LEAVING WHERE I LIVE OIN ORDER TO LIVE MNEARER TO WHERE MY SON LIVES. IAND I DO NOT MIND GOING TYO LIVE IN A HOME. I KNOW THAT I CAN NO LONGER RUN EITHER MY OWN LIFE NOR KEE[ A HOME, BUT I DO WANT TO BE REASONABLY NEAR TO WYHERE HE IS SO THAT I CAN AT LEAST HAVE A VISITOR. !!! OTHERWISE I HAVE MY WONDERFUL TV FOR COMPANY. !!

I FIND IT IS QUITE FEARSOME TO COME TO MY CO OM[UTER AND HOEP TO PERH[AS FOMD A SEVRETARY WHO COULD TYPE FROM MY DICTATIION.

gO WELL MY DEAR FRIEND. AND BEWARE OF STROKES WHICH CREEP UP ON ONE WITHOUT ONE BEING AWARE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING.

yOUR VERY AFFECTIONATE FRIEND,

cHRISTIANE
alsoran 83 nearly 84

Monday 20th Marxg 2012 15.15 GMT

Dear Christiane,

How lovely to hear from you. Go well, we wish you the best of luck in everything!

Don't let those doctors push you around.

Love,

Dmitri

Dearest Christiane,

I wish you luck with your appointment with the doctor tomorrow.

I certainly hope you manage to get a placement close to your son, and preferably somewhere you will enjoy the activities and company of new friends

You keep opening up your computer, and if you have problems accessing your account, just you let me know about it

Keep us informed of your condition. You have many friends watching out for you


love as always,

lil xxx

tHANK YOU ALL SO MUCYH. i SHALL LET YOU KNOW THE OUTCOME OF THE EXAMINATION. wHICH IS GOING TO BE IN FRONT OF MY ELDEST SON. !!!

oH DEAR. oN MY BEST BEHAVIOUR. i MUST BE.....

cme
vERY TIRED NOW.

THANK YOU FOR THE GOOD WIOSHES.

Good Luck Christiane, it is so good to hear from you.

Websailor

Hi my friends,

I shall definitelyg have to write on memory Loss. !!! Fascinating subject but very annoying at my age...!

Well, the Dr. gave me the test. i thought they were the most stupid questions, but I managed to pass with only two mistakes and got 28/30. He turned to me and said with a big smile

"Aren't you pleased. !

As I thought they were the most gormless questions I managed to stammer thank you. but what do the medical world think we are if they administer a test like that to see if you are still receiving the world loud and clear?

I would like to write a test for them. anyway, they have decided, the Doctor and my eldest son, that I should go and see a psychiatrist as well. Goodness knows why but as I would like to talk to someone about the brilliant brain esercises which I have been doing for the last nearly four years when |I had had the first stroke, it might be a good idea. There is little doubt that I feel a 100% better than I did when I first came to live in this coastal town.

Now I am considering going into an Old AGe Home. Mostly for the companioship and the faft that I asm really bored cooking for myself. also because I am anxious to try and finish all the uninished writing which I have,

Gp well and thank you again for the good wishes.

I am thrilled because I have an orchid floweing for the second year running. Also a zantetacgua i.e. Arum Lily -indigenoous to South Africa - has got the most marvellous blooms on it. I am fortunatel that only the annuals of my verandah garden have disappeared when I went on holiday. the rest are looking wonderful.

I have just bought six marvellous Gerbera, (Barderton Daisies also indigenous to South Africa) and they are looking splendid in my living rrom on a stand. Gardening is such a joy. How are you coping Websailor. and how are your birds?

With much affectiion to you all,

Christian~AlsoRan83/4
Friday 24th march 2912 15.00 GMT

With affection
Chrustuabe
AlsoRab83/4
24th March 2012 15.15 GMT
Must fly time for Countdown....!!!!

Christiane, the silly questions are probably not as silly as you think. If you have ever spent many hours with someone with even the early stages of any kind of dementia you would see that it is the silly ones that catch them out as they are often quite cunning in the early stages.

I wish you good luck with whatever move you have to make though I do wonder why such an intelligent, sparky lady should be referred to a psychiatrist. I suspect you will give them a run for their money

I am fine, Christiane, thanks for asking. I keep myself busy with sons, granddaughter, friends and birds, in addition to doing DIY work on my house with the help of my son so I am finding the time is passing far too quickly. I can't believe we are heading for April already I shall begin feeding the badgers again soon as they will probably have cubs now.

Anyway, take care and keep us in touch with what plans you make and don't let anyone give you the runaround.



Websailor

Hi Christiane,

Good to hear you passed the test with flying colours!

I look forward to hearing how you get one with the psychiatrist. He'll need a holiday after your visit!


love as always,


lil xx

Dear Christiane,

Congratulations! You will be out-clevering those people for a long time to come, I believe and hope.

Many good wishes,

Dmitri

Hello Christiane! It's great to see you around here again. What your brother is doing sounds wonderful! Unfortunately Graaff-Reinet is very far away from where I am, almost at the opposite corner of the country!

I'm very happy the test with the doctor went so well! Best of success with the psychiatrist now.

Me, I'm keeping well! Fit and healthy and hard at work at lots of art and writing projects, and my plant cultivation is also coming along fine. I'll see about taking some more photographs and putting links to them here!

Much affection,
Willem