practicing utopia

config.style.page.link.font: "underline" config.style.page.link.color: "gray-9" config.style.page.link.lineColor: "lime" config.style.page.link.active.color: "lime-8 on green-2" -- [align center] <img src= "https://karastone.files.wordpress.com/2021/03/practicing-utopia-collage_550.png"> [align center] [[Practicing Utopia|first]]

seen: 0 -- Lily wakes up late as always. She stretches out in the bed, Cedar already long up. She pets Velma as she considers what to do with her time before heading to the meeting. [[Mend her friend Sayyid's shorts|mend]] [[Go to the farmer's market|market]] [[Fix the dishwasher|dishwasher]] [[Plan a local vacation|vacation]]

seen: 0 -- Cedar wakes up before the sun does. They put on their boots and take the dog outside, inspecting the garden quickly. After coffee, they take stock of their day. [[Aerate the compost|compost]] [[Give worm tea to the plants|wormtea]] [[Hang the laundry|laundry]] [[Harvest the garden|garden]]

mend: true seen: seen+1 -- Lily loves any opportunity to use her sewing machine. Her step-dad gave it to her, and his mother gave it to him. She loves the machincal parts, the give of the pedal, the rumbling sound it makes. Today's focus is on Sayyid's shorts. Lily has become known as a bit of a craftsman in the community and often recieves requests to mend and repair various things, but she always appreciates the opportunity to pull out her machine. (Cedar had previously gotten sick of how many curtains she made into pillows, when no other task arose). Sayyid said these were his favourite—and only—shorts, so she sets out to do a particularly good job. [if vacation===false && seen!==2 && seen!==4] [align center] [[Plan a local vacation|vacation]] [if mend===false && seen!==2 && seen!==4] [align center] [[Mend her friend Sayyid's shorts|mend]] [if market===false && seen!==2 && seen!==4] [align center] [[Go to the farmer's market|market]] [if dishwasher===false && seen!==2 && seen!==4] [align center] [[Fix the dishwasher|dishwasher]] [if seen===2] [align center] [[It is time to head to the meeting.|Meeting]] [if seen===4] [align center] [[Lily yawns.|End]]

market: true seen: seen+1 -- This week is Lily's turn to go to the farmer's market. It's not her favourite task, but still she carries assorted totes and looks at what is in season. Fiddleheads, rhubarb, artichokes... Lily looks around and tries to imagine what Cedar would appreciate cooking. She chats with Freddy, the man who sells seaweed, does another round, then heads home with her haul. [if vacation===false && seen!==2 && seen!==4] [align center] [[Plan a local vacation|vacation]] [if mend===false && seen!==2 && seen!==4] [align center] [[Mend her friend Sayyid's shorts|mend]] [if market===false && seen!==2 && seen!==4] [align center] [[Go to the farmer's market|market]] [if dishwasher===false && seen!==2 && seen!==4] [align center] [[Fix the dishwasher|dishwasher]] [if seen===2] [align center] [[It is time to head to the meeting.|Meeting]] [if seen===4] [align center] [[Lily yawns.|End]]

dishwasher: true seen: seen+1 -- The dishwasher stopped working a few weeks ago and their dirty dishes are piling up. It is time. Cedar had tried to locate the manual but Lily knew it was long gone, gone before they even moved into their apartment, likely. She doesn't mind though; she knows she can figure it out. The sewing machine may have been the first mechanical object she really appreciated, but as Lily got older that love translated into looking at the insides of any household appliance, from dishwashers and vacuum cleaners to radios and electrical supply. She loves looking at the mess and figuring it out. Her calves get sore from squatting on the kitchen floor but her tinkering pays off and the dishwasher turns on again. She plops the dirty dishes in and runs it to be sure. [if vacation===false && seen!==2 && seen!==4] [align center] [[Plan a local vacation|vacation]] [if mend===false && seen!==2 && seen!==4] [align center] [[Mend her friend Sayyid's shorts|mend]] [if market===false && seen!==2 && seen!==4] [align center] [[Go to the farmer's market|market]] [if dishwasher===false && seen!==2 && seen!==4] [align center] [[Fix the dishwasher|dishwasher]] [if seen===2] [align center] [[It is time to head to the meeting.|Meeting]] [if seen===4] [align center] [[Lily yawns.|End]]

vacation: true seen: seen+1 -- Lily always loved planning—maybe too much. If she let her mind run wild it would make plans for all sorts of things that would never happen. She used to love to travel, having spent much of her early 20s hopping on cheap flights, but she made a pact to herself stay as local as possible. To her surprise, her little trips have been quite joyous. She has found so many humble but beautiful spots. The one she researches today is just for her, a few days to herself. A needed replenishment. [if vacation===false && seen!==2 && seen!==4] [align center] [[Plan a local vacation|vacation]] [if mend===false && seen!==2 && seen!==4] [align center] [[Mend her friend Sayyid's shorts|mend]] [if market===false && seen!==2 && seen!==4] [align center] [[Go to the farmer's market|market]] [if dishwasher===false && seen!==2 && seen!==4] [align center] [[Fix the dishwasher|dishwasher]] [if seen===2] [align center] [[It is time to head to the meeting.|Meeting]] [if seen===4] [align center] [[Lily yawns.|End]]

seen: seen +1 compost: true -- Cedar takes the lid off the multilevel compost and begins to stir. They see the remains of carrots, kale stems, a moldy piece of bread, remnants of their compost vegetable soup stock, and an aparagus they had tried to grow but didn't ever thicken, all amongst the brown textured soil. They stir the matter around, revealing worms on each lift. Cedar has a soft spot for these worms, these genderless, sex-fluid beings that have such amazing ability to transform waste into life. They consider the worms like pets—a thousand pets and counting. Cedar says a hello to them, a little dorky but no one is around to hear it. [if compost===false && seen!==2 && seen!==4] [align center] [[Aerate the compost|compost]] [if wormtea===false && seen!==2 && seen!==4] [align center] [[Give worm tea to the plants|wormtea]] [if laundry===false && seen!==2 && seen!==4] [align center] [[Hang the laundry|laundry]] [if garden===false && seen!==2 && seen!==4] [align center] [[Harvest the garden|garden]] [if seen===2] [align center] [[It is time to head to the meeting.|Meeting]] [if seen===4] [align center] [[Cedar rubs their eyes.|End]]

seen: seen +1 wormtea: true -- Cedar checks on the wormtea they had left overnight. Worm castings—poop—in water. They remove the old cheese cloth and observe its brown colour and suprising odorlessness. The fill up a cup, dilute it with water, and feed a bit to the garden and the indoor plants, which Cedar keeps many of. Cedar always marvels at this process, finding a way to use literal shit to supporting life, having life reuse and thrive from it. Each bit of plant life gets a taste of the wormtea. [if compost===false && seen!==2 && seen!==4] [align center] [[Aerate the compost|compost]] [if wormtea===false && seen!==2 && seen!==4] [align center] [[Give worm tea to the plants|wormtea]] [if laundry===false && seen!==2 && seen!==4] [align center] [[Hang the laundry|laundry]] [if garden===false && seen!==2 && seen!==4] [align center] [[Harvest the garden|garden]] [if seen===2] [align center] [[It is time to head to the meeting.|Meeting]] [if seen===4] [align center] [[Cedar rubs their eyes.|End]]

seen: seen +1 laundry: true -- They gather the wet laundry from the load Lily put in late last night, smell it to see if is still fresh enough, and take it outside to the clothing line. Cedar does this all a little begrudginly. The dryer has been broken for a few months even though they think Lily could likely fix it if she wanted to. They think that Lily wants to use less electricity instead, and see if they can live without the dryer—but Lily is never the one to actually hang it up. Still, Cedar appreciates the smell on their clothes that come from drying outside, and the longevity it adds to their favourite items. They even like to see the flacid legs and arms flapping in the wind over their garden. [if compost===false && seen!==2 && seen!==4] [align center] [[Aerate the compost|compost]] [if wormtea===false && seen!==2 && seen!==4] [align center] [[Give worm tea to the plants|wormtea]] [if laundry===false && seen!==2 && seen!==4] [align center] [[Hang the laundry|laundry]] [if garden===false && seen!==2 && seen!==4] [align center] [[Harvest the garden|garden]] [if seen===2] [align center] [[It is time to head to the meeting.|Meeting]] [if seen===4] [align center] [[Cedar rubs their eyes.|End]]

seen: seen +1 garden: true -- Checking on the garden is Cedar's favourite task. Maybe it's not even a task for them, but a hobby and a pleasure. Seeing how each sprout grows, researching what to plant when and what soil it needs, learning how to collect seeds. The prospect of new seasons always provide something to look forward to for Cedar. Today the lettuce and spinach has big enough leaves to harvest some of. They clip off enough to make for a meal for them and Lily, and some to give to their friend Eugene, who always appreciates greens. [if compost===false && seen!==2 && seen!==4] [align center] [[Aerate the compost|compost]] [if wormtea===false && seen!==2 && seen!==4] [align center] [[Give worm tea to the plants|wormtea]] [if laundry===false && seen!==2 && seen!==4] [align center] [[Hang the laundry|laundry]] [if garden===false && seen!==2 && seen!==4] [align center] [[Harvest the garden|garden]] [if seen===2] [align center] [[It is time to head to the meeting.|Meeting]] [if seen===4] [align center] [[Cedar rubs their eyes.|End]]

Lily and Cedar head to the community centre together. For a better part of a year their Saturdays have been spent here, drinking bad coffee and having frustrating but fruitful conversations. Today's topic quickly turns to the official approve of the pipeline. "We still have time to pressure the MP!" "She won't hear it. She'll just nod and say she's working on it—" "—but vote yes, yet again!" "Better if we get ready for direct action." Consensus wasn't reached in the meeting but each of them knew their work to do in the meantime. Cedar and Lily chat with Sis while cleaning up, recounting the anti-borders protest the week before, then head to Carina's to fill her in on the meeting. Her flare up is bad but she appreciates the news and the leftover coffee and snacks they bring. _They're far from utopia, but [[they are practicing it anyway._|Meeting2]]

Lily has some energy left. [if vacation===false] [align center] [[Plan a local vacation|vacation]] [if mend===false] [align center] [[Mend her friend Sayyid's shorts|mend]] [if market===false] [align center] [[Go to the farmer's market|market]] [if dishwasher===false] [align center] [[Fix the dishwasher|dishwasher]]

Cedar checks their watch to see how much time they have left. [if compost===false] [align center] [[Aerate the compost|compost]] [if wormtea===false] [align center] [[Give worm tea to the plants|wormtea]] [if laundry===false] [align center] [[Hang the laundry|laundry]] [if garden===false] [align center] [[Harvest the garden|garden]]

Lily and Cedar lay in bed together, their dog Velma snoring lightly at their feet. Entangled in the blankets, they talk sweetly to each other about the day they just had and the ones they are going to have. _They practice these little visions of daily utopia not because these are the actions that will solve all the world's problems, but because they believe that another world is possible._ _In the world they are hoping for—working for, practicing for—they know there must be less consumption, less factory farms, less plastic, less emissions, less convenience, but more joy, more autonomy, more sharing, more justice, more pleasure. They practice in optimistic dedication to a living future._ [align center] ~~The End~~

_They are practicing for change, a change that they hope will come—that must come if the future will have space for them. It takes effort—a lot of it—but they find small pleasures in it too. When it takes too much effort, when things are too hard or impossible, they then see the boundaries of what capitalism dictates for them at this moment. A generative realization of where the work must take place in other avenues._ _Practice makes progress, not perfection._ When Lily and Cedar arrive at their apartment, there is still some daylight left. [align center] [[Lily|Lily Choice 3]] [align center] [[Cedar|Cedar Choice 3]]

compost: false wormtea: false laundry: false garden: false vacation: false mend: false market: false dishwasher: false -- _Two lovers are practicing utopia._ _They are carrying out little actions in their daily life that they want to take into the future._ [align center] [[Lily|LilyStart]] [[Cedar|CedarStart]]