E arly in the semester I told you we would be watching a 'home video' of a friend of mine who left America in search of a different kind of life. What follows is a written description of that video.
 

The Background

T he photographer and narrator of this homespun documentary is a person I grew up with. You will know him as Michael. Michael has always done things outside of what most Americans would call normal. A talented artist, he rejected a full ride to the Chicago Art Institute to be a gardener on the island of St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. One year later he returned to Estes Park, CO only to travel the world as a contract photographer for large conferences and conventions. After two years of being the photo editor for Rock and Ice Magazine and studying under a renown architectural photographer, Michael grew bored and restless again. Soon, he was chief of his own advertising photography studio in San Francisco. But, broken heart and a love of surfing sent him drifting again and he found himself in Bali, Indonesia. The video picks up from here.
 

The Video

T he early part of the video shows Michael in his adopted home after being in Bali for two months. His community, about two hours drive from the nearest urban area, is of the lowest caste in Bali. Even in this modern age it functions much like an extended family. In order to remain in the village, Michael had to be accepted and blessed by the village �father�. After passing this test he was adopted by a family, and is known as a brother to G�day the eldest son.

M ichael now enjoys the benefits and responsibilities of a Balinese-Buddhist family member. In fact, Michael�s inquiry about building a house led the grandfather to give him a set of ornately carved beams and statues that had been in the family for generations. In return, Michael provides villagers employment as highly paid photography assistants. The work that Michael provides has maintained a standard of living for a poor village hit strongly by the East Asian financial crisis.
 

Y ou will notice we live quite differently from Michael and his village. The daylight and weather determine their daily routines. Their menu is decided in many ways for them by what their local environment provides. They have no central health care or social service systems. A sickened natural environment or natural disaster would have immediate and vital impacts on his community. No one is shunned, even the deaf and dump man you know only by his out of place laughter. Crime does not exist and the difference between right and wrong is taught only through stern looks. Possessions are only ephemeral and not absolute. To find your neighbor in your balae (living-room building) or bed after a hard day of fishing is not uncommon. Your roasted mackerel is everyone�s and even laughter is passed around like a bowl of chips.

T hroughout this class, many of you have suggested that a panacea for our many environmental problems is to regress Western civilization to a more primitive, simpler time. This video displays a way of life that has much less impact on the natural world than our own. The Balinesians lead a delicately balanced life that is intricately woven into the strong foundation of a supportive community. Surely, desire for �more� is a common feeling for these people. But it is tempered by many influences cultural, economic and spiritual in nature. Michael told me that even the poorest among them has a smile to give and laughter to share. They may desire better things, but they are not unhappy with what they have.

S o, perhaps we Americans need to regress to this state to improve our condition. Though by many measures, it is likely we would have to advance to this state instead.

A s a mental assignment please compare and contrast what you see in the video with what you see around you everyday. Remember your conclusions.

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