With many thoughts rattling inside me on living independently, I googled these words and started reading about them. Although, independence literally means to be free from outside control, not depending on another for livelihood or subsistence. Is that really possible?
“Independent Living” actually turned out to be worldwide Independent Living movement, which began in 1960 which is a movement of disabled people working for equal opportunities, self-determination and self-respect.
How about a normal non-disabled person! Are they living independently? Are you living independently? Do you think every person have equal opportunity of the availability of information, financial resources, peer and family support so they are able to examine the alternatives and take decisions for their own life?
When I asked this question to my some of my friends, here are some replies I received:
I took responsibility of myself and own decisions for my living arrangements.
I am earning since my school days, and have not taken a penny from my parents since then, yes I am independent!
I have Life insurance policies and enough investments, that I can continue living independently even when I am old.
That’s it !!!
Taking care of personal grooming, food, clothing, money management is what to be considered as independent living!
Extending this care to your family spouse, children, parents should be considered as independent living?
How can we keep the environment out of this context? There is no hidden fact that all living things including us the humans, LIFE is dependent on air, water, soil, minerals, vegetation …. the resources of the environment.
Our life, in that matter of fact no life in this universe is possible without environment and is completely DEPENDENT on environment. Consider Air as an example – you carry out different activities in a day eg. Transportation, food delivery, cooking, ok take to next level THE industries, construction, fire crackers…coming back to basic every second we breathe out we release carbon-di-oxide in the air. How long you guess this fresh air will still be available for you?
No matter how many air purifiers keep on adding – if balance of credit and debit is not taken care bank balance will soon be ZERO. Study shows that an average human breathes about 740 Kgs of Oxygen per year, which is roughly seven or eight TREES worth. (ref 1). Can each one of us plant and take care of at least 8 trees/person in our life? Don’t wait for retirement age, for investments as to enjoy benefits and interest at old age investments need to be done at early stage of life and taken care throughout the life, same logic applies here the sooner you plant, and with regular care the future shall be protected
Global warming is another serious threat to life on earth, with melting glaciers, increase in sea levels, extreme weather conditions. There are many reasons for this like Greenhouse gas, cutting down forests for residential / commercial buildings or agriculture and as a common person one can keep asking government to make rules and policies for designing for environment, controlling emission norms, dumping waste standards etc. All that is fair and valid ask however how about when we reflect our daily life in mirror. Somewhere directly or indirectly we all are a part of this whether its travelling in flight / train/ ship /car/ scooter or relishing with favourite cuisine or dress! Agreed all can’t be stopped at once for practical reasons –but may be some must have things can be Rethink for use, for example Air Conditioners!!!
Today air condition is in homes, schools, offices, malls, buses, cars, trains… now people can’t think their day without them. Irony is people complaint about global warming sitting in air-condition, and didn’t realize that this air conditioning is also adding equal amount of heat the very near outside the wall of same room/building.
Being an engineer I can tell you no matter how efficient system can be made, or theories be developed with centralized cooling if some place need to be cooled artificially, the heat need to sucked from there and thrown somewhere else. And to do this transfer additional energy is also needed.
Modern day architecture is now filled with all-glass skyscrapers. They definitely provide great views for people sitting inside, and does helps with lots of natural light in but these glass walls traps the warm inside which forces use of air-condition and adds additional heat to outside. Now there are inventions going on with new glasses or laminated glass panels but to be true what’s wrong in going back to the stone or brick made buildings. Why these buildings need to be only heritage buildings and use by people take photos there for their profile pictures!!
Globalization is boon and helped to enjoy us whatever we want irrespective of where we are. Whether its Mexican burrito or Pashmeena shaul or low cost product from China. Not debating about its advantages or ill effects on environment and local markets, but have we realized that even SUN doesn’t have same intensity and time of sunshine’s all over the earth, so how one solution can work everywhere. Glass buildings works better for cold places but not in hot places! Coffee: millions of people across globe consume coffee on daily basis, whether it is summer or winter; but have you realized what every single cup of coffee is doing to our body? Caffeine increase blood pressure, body temperature and heart rate! Irony is we enjoy coffee sitting in air-condition and then complaint about hot temperature outside.
So, whether you drink caffeinated beverages, or enjoy the air condition, talking or reading about go green initiatives, consider about the environment, keep in mind about our dependency on the environment, the harmonic relationship we have with this mother nature. Each one of us can play our part every moment we are alive to ensure and maintain balance. For sure we can’t be ever independent from nature, but by living this at least we will ensure the natural resources and ecosystems shall be preserved, thereby sustaining and keeping the sufficient balance to meet the needs of future generations.