As I think more and more in depth on the way society tells me I should live, I feel isolated, alone, and piled with responsibility. From the moment we are born, we are trained to be self-reliant, self-validating, and self-fulfilling. I watch specials on the National Geographic Channel about vilages in Mongolia and Alaska, Finland and India, that help each other and support each other, working as a unit for the benefit of everyone. Children in these communities seem to have better social skills, work ethics, values and respect for elders. I look at my society and I see individualism almost to the extent of egoism, competition, declining values and ethics in favor of gross consumerism, and our elders being locked away because of a growing obsession with youth and new things. One alternative is intentional communities, wonderful examples of humans living out their values. They seem to realize that we are all responsible for each other, not just for ourselves. Their way of life is hard and requires patience and sacrifice, but I believe the rewards are great. For those who do not wish to shut themselves off from society, for those who have strong family ties that keep them in the mainstream world, what is to be done to foster that sense of community when you may live hundreds of miles from your nearest relative? While the extent is up to the individual, I think it is important to form webs of people who encourage one another in living simply and abiding by the principals of social responsibility. Whether this may mean joining a co-op, buying free trade items, starting a compost pile, switching to organic vegetables, or even something as simple as sending cards to forgotten nursing home rsidents or volunteering at a soup kitchen, every conscious decision a person makes helps to embrace a joyful gift of themselves to others.