I would like to add a comment regarding the red door and wreath. Readers may be familiar with the idea of an externality from economics. Usually they are portrayed as negative externalities, like pollution: a company making products is involved in exchange with buyers. But the production produces waste, and some of it is released to the air or water. So the company imposes a negative externality, a cost, on society, on people who don't even buy its products.
But there are also positive externalities: things people do that have a positive impact on people, maybe unrecognized, like planting a nice flower garden. They bear the costs in money, time, and labor; we enjoy the beauty. Economists like to point out that according to theory there shouldn't be any positive externalities. Why would a rational person go to all that trouble and expense when people can free ride on the effort? The gardner should be able charge for the show! Nah.
People do these things for their own benefit, and they like sharing that benefit. We should celebrate more all the little things people do for themselves and share with others because they want to. It's the people who don't want to share, who want to turn things like gardens into competitions, and who wan to make a buck off of everything, who lead the least rewarding lives. If what ever you do gets enjoyed by anonymous others, you are keeping society in good repair. That's what makes it strong enough to fend off the wolves in whatever form they show themselves.
Thank you so much for writing this. This is...this is exactly the kind of thing I hoped I might hear in response to that comment, and it helps so much. I'm gonna share it with other people in my (genuinely good) circle, 'cause I know a lot of them are like me. So seriously. Thank you. It means the world, and I wish I had better words to say that much.
Such a beautiful piece! The person that you wrote about could have been me tbh. Physically disabled with a condition impacting the immune system which leaves me very concerned about exposure to the ongoing covid pandemic. There is so much negative in the world right now, it’s crucial to focus on what we CAN do to impact positive change even in the smallest of ways https://youtu.be/c8-BT6y_wYg?si=weuJxR4M6AdUv2kM
This is a VERY important essay, Laura, and I thank you for it. Just last night in my weekly zoomer with four friends (two of whom couldn't make it) the two of us talked about aging and how much less we are able to do... and I was trying to convince my good buddy that just her being alive and hopeful and joyful in the world was enough, more than enough, given her health/ability. THANKS; I forwarded this to the other three in our little circle.
I would like to add a comment regarding the red door and wreath. Readers may be familiar with the idea of an externality from economics. Usually they are portrayed as negative externalities, like pollution: a company making products is involved in exchange with buyers. But the production produces waste, and some of it is released to the air or water. So the company imposes a negative externality, a cost, on society, on people who don't even buy its products.
But there are also positive externalities: things people do that have a positive impact on people, maybe unrecognized, like planting a nice flower garden. They bear the costs in money, time, and labor; we enjoy the beauty. Economists like to point out that according to theory there shouldn't be any positive externalities. Why would a rational person go to all that trouble and expense when people can free ride on the effort? The gardner should be able charge for the show! Nah.
People do these things for their own benefit, and they like sharing that benefit. We should celebrate more all the little things people do for themselves and share with others because they want to. It's the people who don't want to share, who want to turn things like gardens into competitions, and who wan to make a buck off of everything, who lead the least rewarding lives. If what ever you do gets enjoyed by anonymous others, you are keeping society in good repair. That's what makes it strong enough to fend off the wolves in whatever form they show themselves.
Well said.
Thanks for this great essay, Laura.
A reminder that we all have a part to play, and can contribute to helping each other stay level and engaged as possible.
Thank you so much for writing this. This is...this is exactly the kind of thing I hoped I might hear in response to that comment, and it helps so much. I'm gonna share it with other people in my (genuinely good) circle, 'cause I know a lot of them are like me. So seriously. Thank you. It means the world, and I wish I had better words to say that much.
Such a beautiful piece! The person that you wrote about could have been me tbh. Physically disabled with a condition impacting the immune system which leaves me very concerned about exposure to the ongoing covid pandemic. There is so much negative in the world right now, it’s crucial to focus on what we CAN do to impact positive change even in the smallest of ways https://youtu.be/c8-BT6y_wYg?si=weuJxR4M6AdUv2kM
This is a VERY important essay, Laura, and I thank you for it. Just last night in my weekly zoomer with four friends (two of whom couldn't make it) the two of us talked about aging and how much less we are able to do... and I was trying to convince my good buddy that just her being alive and hopeful and joyful in the world was enough, more than enough, given her health/ability. THANKS; I forwarded this to the other three in our little circle.