failure. of everything.

Collectively and personally I think we are facing an interesting point where the whole world appears to be failing.

The environment is failing in the most extreme ways. This week I am incredibly saddened that 96 people have died in bushfires in Victoria. Extreme conditions of 44degrees, tinder-dry bush and massive winds meant that many people lost their lives, and even an entire town was decimated. People can’t even shelter in the school hall, because that burnt down too.

So I look at the hardships around the world in the “economic crisis”, with 21% of people in the TechCrunch community losing their jobs, many friends either losing or under threat of losing stability of work. And it puts all of us in an extraordinary position. One that many of us who have had many years without the experience of war, don’t quite know how to handle.

And I look at the hardships there and think – jobs are jobs, houses are just walls and did you really need that cleaner anyway?

People have lost their loved ones.

What other environmental changes will begin to cut us with a harder edge?

Everything is failing.

But maybe it is part of the human condition that we only truly change, react and evolve when there are extremities of force around us.

I am not sure that is a consolation. But it is however a challenge to choose to be moved. Now.

(8 Feb, 2009)