Bad Neighbors, The Conclusion

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Okay, I’ll admit it, I’m not normal. I live in a tent. I don’t have electricity. I carry in water. I mean, come on! I realize that society can only tolerate so much deviation from the norm, and I’m one of those anomalies. The threads of our social fabric must remain more or less aligned, in a normal pattern, or the social structures that we all depend upon will weaken and tear. My lifestyle doesn’t fit well in society and that bothers some people, like Alan.

When Alan and I were talking that day, he tried to explain to me why tent living bothered him so much. "What if everybody lived that way?" he had asked. I knew the point he was trying to make. When he imagined millions and millions of people living simply, off the grid, largely removed from the economy, and unconcerned with property, he saw chaos.

"That’s not a fair question", I said, knowing full well where his imagination had already taken him. "Because I think it would be wonderful."

I’m abnormal, and therefore to some, I’m a threat. Many people in this country are afraid right now. It’s an uneasy time for us. We’re completely dependent upon our social institutions, and the systems that we’ve always depended upon for employment and protection have shown themselves to be fragile and weak. This generation is slowly waking up to the fact that our social institutions are not built of stone, but are built of cards. And we are all sitting on top of that house, having been told all our lives that is was the right thing to do.

If Alan lived in a more stable society, built upon a solid foundation, then I think he might be less fearful and more tolerant of people like me. He would know that nothing could possibly threaten his social order. But unfortunately the institutions in Alan’s world were built upon greed and the desire for power. In our society, it’s normal to take what you can, and unusual to give what you can. So I understand Alan’s concerns, and I still believe him to be a good person. And who knows, perhaps one day, if he can get his mind around it, he might decide to leave his fears behind, jump off his house of cards, and move into a tent! But before he does that, I’d have to warn him about the neighbors.

The End