The final glow of the trees before the leaves fall and the feeling of increased darkness that has come with last weekend's time change leads me to reflect more deeply on the present state of our culture. A major - though often hidden - change has occurred since 9/11 (2001) and then again since the economic crash of 2007. Those of us who at one time made a living sharing spiritual insight and counsel now often must do so for free, or on a donation basis. People have mostly stopped attending lectures, workshops and retreats, unless the person leading it is well-known. Even institutions that used to host regular talks and workshops by well-known speakers - and here I am thinking of places like Naropa University in Boulder - have cut their programs due to lack of attendance. Many of us now write blog articles for the internet, which again are available free of charge. People who offer the basic physical necessities of life - shelter, medical care, food, exercise opportunities and IT support - are usually able to do pretty well. In addition, those spiritual teachers who've remained a part of an institution - like a church or college - still make out OK. But what about those of us who are unassociated with a denomination or institution? Will people once again be willing to offer financial compensation for those teaching outside the institutional framework? The answer to that question remains to be seen, perhaps after a period of cultural "winter." Many of us will simply need to "hunker down" and patiently await a cultural springtime.
Photo: A Fremont Cottonwood tree glows in last light, with red cliffs in the background; Lory State Park, CO; October 24, 2013
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