The Free Dome project is an effort to give those without money another means to acquire basic necessities and luxury items previously only available to the wealthy and high status persons of the world. One percent is not a high enough percent of happy people, as far as I can tell. When we as individual people are doing well in life, that is to say without struggle, starvation, loneliness, or homelessness, we tend not to notice the vast amount of people going without.
Happiness, however, is not just based off of material possessions. Shocker. I know. There is a simple need that often goes ignored in the hurried and often confusing pace of life; relationships. There is something very simple, and yet very satisfying, about having genuinely awesome friends, family, and lovers. They give you support when you need it, bring you interesting information about topics you are passionate about, bounce ideas with you, share those perfect moments in life you wish you had a video or at least a picture of, and care about you. Just having other people around has been proven to make you feel healthier, richer, and happier.
In this era of technology, computers, and phones just about glued to our heads and faces, many people simply miss out on the connecting with others part of life, or shy away from it because of personal and financial insecurities. In other words, there are a multitude of people within your own community who don’t feel like they belong, and/or don’t know how to reach out for help. 24 percent of all Canadian deaths are from suicide. These are people, like you or I, who have likes, dislikes, dreams, realistic goals, and passions that may never be discovered or shared. It is the basic right of all people, from all parts of the world, to be happy.
http://www.notable-quotes.com/f/freedom_quotes.html
The way I see it, life is an epic novel and you’re the main character. The main protagonist is ultimately death, in what ever guise it chooses to take. It can come in the form of depression, lack of basic survival necessities, illness, murder, accidents, over-indulgence, ect. Although it may seem scary, it is inevitably met by all people. I like to see it like the Deathly Hallows story by JK Rowling. You spend your life fighting it, or running away, but eventually you meet it on level terms at the end of your time, embracing it like an old friend. I want my novel to be filled with adventure, friends, and hope before the final chapter.
Our time on Earth is short, and so much of it has been filled with struggle, poverty, and death as far back as human records go. What also extends as far back as human struggle are the following systems :
Barter System - the trading of items seen as equal in worth between two or more individuals.
Monetary System - using a medium of exchange, dictated by the local government, to obtain desired items.
I like to think back to my history classes at GMCS where multiple teachers expressed this golden tidbit; history is bound to repeat itself. Why? Seriously though. Can anybody tell me why we, being the supposed superior intelligence, are still running around in circles? I've recently been reading Becoming Human, a book by Jean Vanier, and have come to the alarming conclusion that people are basically good. Another shocker, I’m sure, when everything from the bible to the tellie is preaching that we are all inherently evil and must strive to control our beast like nature. To say ‘good’ is still kind of an incorrect way of saying that we are here. We exist. We are people. That’s it. No good or evil. No right or wrong.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBIxScJ5rlY Waiting on the World to Change - John Mayer
This opens up all sorts of doorways, if you are able to accept that we are not the doom of our own race and/or planet. There exists these great instruments of power in every living human, also known as the ‘brain’. Try to stay with me, as I’m sure all of this information is just ‘mind’ (another word for the brain!) blowing. Over the years, we’ve developed our brain and used it to achieve all sorts of amazing things. We have the ability to make our own mountains in the form of skyscrapers. We can transfer new organs to people who would otherwise die without. We have even made a painting half the width of a human hair. But for some reason, even though we have the technology and resources, we still have people struggling to even WANT to live (that’s not to mention the millions who give their lives to live, and still die of starvation).
After all that preamble, the real goal here is to very simply, very calmly, Give. How often does food go bad in your fridge because you have more than you could ever eat by yourself? How many people hoard money like a crazy cat lady does her feline friends? Who needs two hundred cats? And who needs more useless green stuff that’s main goal is to make human interaction as...well...interaction-less and inhuman as possible.
It’s time to think about what you really want in life. Is it a jet ski, a house on the shores of California, or an airplane with your face scrawled all over it? Do you want to be a rock star, an acclaimed scientist, or a beloved environmentalist? What ever it is, aren’t you seeking recognition? Don’t you want to be loved? Yeah. It’s pretty simple. If you want an object to make you happy, you are going to be searching your whole damn life. And it’s going to be a sad one at that. Always moving on, always looking for something bigger, better, and more. More, more, more.
http://www.larabar.com/connect/the-nutshell/we-make-a-life
What I’m offering, is the Free Dome project. It’s more an idea than a physical manifestation. I’m not asking you to open your home up to the homeless, feed the starving, or fix all of humanity's problems. If you are human, and you are reading this, you likely have enough on your plate as it is. The only thing I wish to transfer from me to you is this:
I love you, and you are capable of so much more than you know. When I meet you in the street, I will always try my hardest to smile, wave, and maybe even indulge in a conversation if you’re in a particularly good mood. I think you’re beautiful. I will always try to make you smile, because I love seeing the shine in your ever extracting eyes, taking in the world around you. I will always listen, even though I have the terrible habit of being really excited, and have to stop myself from jumping in from time to time. I will talk about anything with you, because I know how it feels to be heard, and I’d rather have a deep conversation with you any day over discussing the weather…..again (I mean, it’s either beautiful or crappy out, and we both have enough observational skills to figure it out pretty quick). I think you are the most amazing you I will ever encounter, and for some effed up reason, I genuinely want the best for you too. You are unique in every cell structure, idea, and passion that is you. I love that about you.
Further more, though I don’t always have much of value, I will listen to your requests, and will try to fill them as best as I can. I won’t overexert myself, or go against my own morals for you, but nor will I expect you to do so for me. I’m an artist first and foremost, so the most I can give are ideas and hope, but you can rest assured I will Give it freely. If you need a friend to do fun things with, to watch a movie with, to help you with a project, or even just to sit in silence and enjoy each others company with, I’ll do my best to be there for you.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/leftblankplease
Some days are harder than others. As a sufferer of Bipolar, I understand the ups and downs of life all too well. I struggle to keep any sort of balance in my life, and do a decent job of it thanks to my friends and family. I spend most days creating artistic endeavors such as clothing, jewelry, photographs, architectural design, characters, stories, songs, ect, to give away. I have an etsy shop I’m hoping to be able to have completely free some day. That is to say, the exchange of one cent will buy you as many cute things as you want. I’d love to have other artists join this effort, but I understand how impractical it all sounds. I hope to create a shipping company that uses honest frequent travelers to transfer goods, taking away the need to pay to ship items.
I imagine a world where people give because they can. In my perfect world, if you want to have stone tile floors, you go with a geologist who understands stones and rocks better than anyone, and pick something out of nature that you love, and will practically work in your home. Energetic individuals who enjoy the natural workout of labour would help you acquire enough to cover your floor. An enthusiastic artisan such as myself might then come help you install it, or maybe you decide you want to do it yourself, and learn the necessary skills to do so from a trained professional.
In short, I imagine a world where anything is possible (oh hey! Earth!) and the only boundaries are of our own imagination. In a better world, people go into professions because they are passionate and wish to revolutionize the way others see their fields of work. The Free Dome may also turn into a physical location where people can drop off new and old items for use, restoration, or just as resources to be used and reused. Give where you can, receive graciously, and be grateful for you are alive and well off enough to afford the internet, a privilege only 40 percent of the worlds population has.
http://sharlonimeraj.wordpress.com/about/
