The Cradle of Civilization

Anyone remember the Fertile Crescent, the area of the world where the seeds were literally harvested and planted that sprouted into civilization as we know it? As the death toll rises in the Middle East, as politicians wave their arms and shake their heads about conditions in the Persian Gulf region, let's harken back to the early days of Homo sapiens and the trek from the jungles and savannas of the African continent into Eurasia.

How easily we forget the history of our forebears, who discovered the richness and diversity of golden fields of grain, the need to coordinate with one another to collect and store the grain, the desire to figure out new ways to put the grain to use and the simple training techniques applied to their descendants. In this age of "getting back to nature" during a large cutback in available bank financing and the subsequent recession-like ripple effect in the world economy, let us remember those who came before us and worked the land in order to secure a future for themselves and their offspring. Let us ignore our differences for a moment, pointing all mirrors away from our sight and put a microscope up to our eyes to zoom in on the overwhelming sameness of our DNA. Why all the fuss about color and body shape? Why all the focus on "genetic disposition"?

Americans say they value freedom, with some putting bumper stickers on their vehicles, proclaiming, "Freedom isn't free!" They condone the use of constraint and violence to protect freedom for the general populace and yet, when I look at many Americans yelling "Freedom!," I see people wanting others to conform to their way of life. Is that freedom? Is that what our ancestors wanted when they crossed the deserts of northern Africa? Is that what they wanted when they started gathering grains? To some degree, yes, they did. They expected their children to follow their example in order to preserve the family "fortune."

But without innovation, where would humans be when weather patterns forced them to move to other lands, or when soil productivity diminished over many years, giving little back in return for the seeds spread out at the beginning of the growing season? Innovation means change. Innovation means being different than your neighbor, your parents, your siblings, your spouse and children.

Regardless of your position on the subject of evolution, you do know that plants and animals can be made to produce offspring vastly improved in disease resistance and nutrient production. Either through selective reproduction or genetic modification (or both). This happens in the wild, on the farm or in the laboratory. Accidentally and on purpose. We can make corn/maize into just about anything these days. Parents can choose the types of kids they want.

Innovation. Choice. In other words, everything that "freedom" means, including responsibility for the consequences of our free actions.

I expect people to look at my middle-aged, distinguished body and expect answers from me because I look authoritative. I give them the true meaning of "freedom" back to them when I laugh about having to be serious, when I crack a joke at an inappropriate time, tell a humorous story about an uncomfortable subject or in general show them that looks do not dictate how you should act. The masks we wear through genetic determination do not tell us how to live.

When we look back at the forgotten ancestors of ours who wandered all over the planet with no wheels or wings, we can remember that many of them did not know what a border crossing was, or a passport, or a religion affiliation card. They only sought more fertile land. They followed herds of edible animals. They often stayed one step away from danger -- one fruitless season, one hurricane/typhoon, one wildfire, one ferocious beast, and unfortunately, one opportunistic fellow human preying on another of its kind.

Today, I live in a city that thrives on the production of military goods and services. I see the direct result of one country's desire to maintain an image that the rest of the world is out to get us, thus giving us the right to pour money into molds of missiles, satellites, helicopters, etc., even when we know that some of those objects will end up on the other side of the battlefield one day, giving us reasons to produce more and better weapons. Such is the way of warfare. I expect such ways to continue forever in human activities. There just seems to be an innate fear in us that we direct toward humans who look different than us or have something we've been taught by our ancestors to want or despise, and thus must fight for or against. We build elaborate advertising campaigns and training programs to encourage overly physically aggressive members of society to participate in warlike activities, including organized sports and government armies (what else can you do with them?). We see members of these organizations come out of the finely-tuned training with a strict sense of right and wrong in the field of play but a fuzzy sense of what to do in other parts of society. All longterm training leads the student to such a life, not just in testosterone-driven areas. As I observed many years ago, can a concert violinist and a racecar driver ever see eye-to-eye about their importance in their chosen fields of study? They should, because each is devoted to reaching perfection:

"They're all dedicated to their art/craft, and in the end, focusing on one thing and doing it well is the ultimate satisfaction."

As we look back at the dawn of civilization, can we find a key to unlock the secret to a better way of living today? Can we say that any previous cultures had put that secret to use in their time? Can we only cry "Freedom!" and still not know what it means, ten, fifteen or even fifty thousand years after we understood that the planet was for us, not against us (or at least, benignly indifferent to our existence)? The secret lies within every one of us, if we take the time to notice. Our ancestors knew the answer and we're here because of their putting the secret to practical use.

What is the secret that was given to us in our cradle of civilization?

Come on, you know what it is -- you see it every time a mother lets her child waddle across a room unaided, or a father lets his child surf the Web unattended:

Teaching our children to be willing to adapt so that they can think for themselves when they need or want to innovate. At the same time, we must practice the willingness to adapt ourselves.

The world will go on without us. Let us give our children the freedom to be themselves so they can decide how to handle all the changes the world will throw at them. Don't force them to be like us. Give civilization the chance to grow. As society matures into something with which we're not familiar, let us find a way to adapt to the changes.

Innovation. Change. Freedom. Choice. This, the brash adolescent still stomping around the cradle of civilization in a temper tantrum, shouting "Freedom!" while carrying the banner of a democratic republic, is what it's all about. It's painful to watch but that child will learn to innovate -- just give the child a little room to grow.