2408. Culture, self reflection, and the future

There is a tendency, when we get pragmatic, to let culture and self reflection get left behind as unnecessary baggage. This is a mistake. In dealing with our complex and unsettled future, the more we know of ourselves the better. Literature and conversation are two powerful ways to expand our experience. Reading the Odyssey takes Odysseus and friends into and through challenging times. As readers we get to go along and these experiences have a powerful effect on our own ability to respond to our challenges. Imagine that in Gardenworld, when the days work ha been hard, we gather around a camp fire and listen to Homer narrated under the night sky. The experience deepens our inner self and our bonding with our small community.