Thirty Thousand Days

dependent on others -- that we are autonomous, able to act on our own. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. We are completely dependent on others and we can do nothing on our own. The recognition of this truth could be more accurately represented in the celebration of INTERdependence Day.

Think about how dependent we are on each other. In order to drive to the store I am dependent on

My car
The mechanics who keep my car running
My eyeglasses
Gasoline and oil
The people who build and keep the roads repaired
Electricity (provided by a battery for ignition)
The people who operate the store and keep the shelves stocked with food
The people who truck and deliver the items to the store
The bank who issued my credit/debit card or the US Govt Printing Center that printed the currency I would use
My employer who pays me so I have money for buying what I need.

And this is really just the tip of the iceberg. You can take any item on this list – oil, eyeglasses, trucks, or electricity – and you will find an endless web of people, objects and energy that make that item possible.

Our freedom is largely a result of this interdependence. A network of roads creates the freedom for me to drive almost anywhere I want to go. A network of electricity creates freedom for me to have light for reading a book. A network of banks gives me freedom to travel and pay for things almost anywhere in the world. Each network consists of a myriad of individuals who depend on each other. Without the cooperation and interdependence of all these individuals (and objects), we would have little freedom.

As one human being, I am very limited. I can't build a car or construct a bridge. I can't make a working refrigerator. Nor could I fashion a functional bread knife. Once I baked bread by grinding wheat berries into flour. But I still needed an oven, a bowl and a grinder. I don't know how to make any of these objects. I'm not even sure what is involved in making yeast. The freedom I have to bake my own bread is the end result of a complex network of people, machines, energy and planetary resources. So the eye doctor who examines my eyes and the machine that grinds the lenses in my glasses are part of this "bread-baking freedom" that I so much enjoy, though I mostly take it for granted.

How might we celebrate interdependence day? Well, we could spend a few minutes reflecting on all the people "upstream" who help make my freedom possible. Let's see, there's Deb, the local postmaster who sorts my mail. And Cindy at the supermarket who puts the fresh produce on the shelf. And, of course, Susan, the previous owner of this house, who took such good care of it before I moved in. These are all people I know. There are many more people I don't know. Like the people who helped assemble my Subaru that gives me freedom to drive on icy roads in the winter. Or the people who worked hard at erecting telephone poles with wires that carry my voice for many miles.

When you reflect on your personal freedom you can't help but see the interdependence of life. We depend on people. Lots of people. It's not unusual to find references to "oneness" in the world's great religious traditions or in philosophy. But the type of reflection I'm describing (called Naikan in Japan) brings this philosophy down to earth. We realize how connected we are. We realize how supported we are. And we see, in the most practical way, how interdependent we all are.

If you want to take this a step further, try putting a note in a bottle and sending it upstream. Write a thank you note to someone who helps you have more freedom. Let them know you appreciate what they're doing and how much you've benefited from their efforts. The birth of our nation is an important date to remember. But let's also acknowledge the birth of our awareness -- an awareness that our freedom is a gift. A gift that's available to us thanks to the efforts and work of countless people, past and present.

Independence often stimulates a sense of pride – a sense that I am competent, capable and I can get along without others. Interdependence, on the other hand, stimulates a sense of humility, a reminder to be grateful -- that we cannot exist except through the efforts of others.
Independence sounds more exciting. Self-reflection, gratitude and humility may not be as spectacular as fireworks. But the world needs something to help us transform our relationships with one another. Exploding rockets won’t do that. Kindness and compassion can do it. And we’re more likely to cultivate those qualities when we celebrate our connection with others, rather than our separateness.

Happy Interdependence Day!

Gregg Krech is the Director of the ToDo Institute, an educational center for Japanese Psychology and Purposeful Living in Vermont. He is the author of several books including the award-winning Naikan: Gratitude, Grace and the Japanese Art of Self-Reflection and A Finger Pointing to the Moon. He is a leading authority on Japanese methods of psychology and his work has been featured in Counseling Today, Cosmopolitan, SELF and American Health magazines. More of his writing can be found at
www.todoinstitute.org