In the Axe Files podcast with Kamala Harris crime came up, discussing Opioid addiction. Harris was the former AG of CA, home of draconian drug laws (some now repealed) such as 3 strikes.
Prevention was the topic. Harris drifted towards rehab and programs to help with addiction. Axe chimed in that prevention needed to begin years before, in the home, in early childhood. Harris jumped back and agreed.
I was reminded of the Frederick Douglas quote:
“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men”
With crime and addiction the ROI on punishment is terrible. We’d see a much better ROI if the focus was building strong children.
This got me thinking back to my MercanThrive plan — to build healthy communities.
It’s a giant problem, yes. Is it too big to solve with one swing? Yes. Is it too big to start working on? No.
The starting point is the soil, the dirt. Layout a vision to grow healthy communities, same as Renee and I growing broccoli sprouts in our kitchen. The community is one solution for climate change, health (thus health care), and jobs — three birds with one stone.
Just writing about a vision for climate change, health, and jobs, seems really crazy. What? I’m god now?
But the signs are there for a spark.
We’re all twisted up about health care, when we should be talking about health — food is health. More signs are appearing that more people are getting that food is health.
More and more are getting that climate change is real, that things look bad for their grandchildren. Food is an answer for climate change.
Automation and A.I. will only kill more jobs. But paying people to stay home isn’t the answer. Because there’s dignity in work. So the answer is to help people do more with less.
Right now I’m imagining looking down at a 3D model, much like you do when you walk into a new community. All that’s there is a sales office in a trailer. Inside is a 3D rendering of the community, with pegs showing where your lot will be.
Same as when Renee and I came to Eagle Ranch in 2001 — all that was here was a trailer/sales office. The trailer was sitting on dirt. We saw the model, we were sold. Our sales guy had to put it in 4 wheel drive to show us our lot. From there we had to stretch our imagination.
I’m thinking about a website with a model to look at and a plan. Sell something to keep the site going.
There’s no money in it, I don’t care. I want to live with purpose, do something that helps millions.
The time to start working on a problem is not when the problem appears. It’s when the problem is far off on the horizon.
Today I’m right back where I was a few months ago. I’m shuffling in the dirt, imagining healthy and vibrant communities where people walk to work and get their food from greenhouses. I’m thinking about Rachel Carson.
65 in Eagle today. Out to poop duty now.
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