My First Shangri-La
S
ince
we’re
all
so
different
psychosocially, I have a hunch most of
us throughout our world define Shangri-La
Larry Wonderling
and its utopian promises quite differently.
Of course, what it is to each of us may equally depend on our
“what” and “why.” For me, the “what” is typically defined
as my “neighborhood,” while answering the “why” requires
the rest of this article.
You may have noticed over the years that I occasionally
write an article exclusively about my PCC neighborhood
mobile home experience across the wash. For me, it’s the
quintessential neighborhood, and my primary reason for
settling here in 2008. Its near panoramic, unsullied open
space with varied elevations between properties was an
initial attraction for me, a guy who lived much of his life
in crowded San Francisco. Unpretentious greetings by a
variety of nearby neighbors and hardy waves by passing
drivers were other unaccustomed delight for an ex-urban
dweller.
The spontaneous welcoming, easily apparent friendly
atmosphere is preciously reminiscent of my grandparents’
neighborhood sanctuary where I spent summer vacations
as a child over 70 years ago. I’ll never forget the sincere
compassion and readiness to care for each other as if all
neighbors were one large family. That was my earliest
taste of Shangri-La.
Today as I openly embrace my own cherished residence
“across the wash,” however; I’m uncomfortably reminded
of the contrasting depersonalized aspects of our present
technically self-absorbed industrialized world. Sadly, my
grandparents would have agreed that many of our urban
populations now seem more preoccupied with exploiting
our shrinking planet’s remaining treasurers than preserving
what’s left and serving the starving families throughout
our exploited earth.
Relevant to my personal crusades is the impassioned
wisdom of Dr. Carl Sagan, the astrophysist I deeply
admired. I began watching his “Cosmos” series on PBS in
the 80’s, then considered the most widely watched series
in the history of public television. Sadly, he died at the age
of 62 in 1996.
In his 1994 scholarly book, “The Pale Blue Dot,” as
viewed from outer space, his final paragraph echoes the
title of this article: “The Earth is the only world known,
so far, to harbor life. Visit, yes, settle, not yet. Like it
or not, for the moment, the earth is where we make our
stand. It has been said that Astronomy is a humbling,
character-building experience. There is perhaps no better
demonstration of the folly of human conceit than this
distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our
responsibility to deal more kindly with one another and
to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home
we’ve ever known.”
So, without our tiny planet there would be no
human history, my very first Shangri-La, or for
that matter…no me. —Larry Wonderling, Ph.D.
Email: [email protected]
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pccnews
12/23/15 10:32 AM