Creating Cocoons in a Scary World

I've been spending the day reading Faith Popcorn's trends for 2009 (again) and considering the direction our emotions and spirituality are leading us.

It's interesting to me that in times of horrific crises (911, natural disasters, etc.) we all have a basic instinct to run home...back to our nests, our cocoons, away from the scariness of the outside world. And it seems that the crises in our lives keeps growing in numbers. Perhaps not at the level of earthquakes and tsunamis, but certainly in the stress that comes with the thought of losing a steady job, a home, a child's education fund, or a retirement fund.

But I'm finding that people are not only running to a physical home, but an emotional and spiritual base as well. Ms. Popcorn talks about anchoring, cashing out and clanning. If you're not familiar with these particular terms, you can probably figure out via your own experiences what she's talking about.

"Anchoring" is reaching back to the past for things that made us feel secure in our childhoods so we can face an unknown future. I often find myself wishing for a simpler time, when kids could play with their friends three blocks from home and mom never had to worry about their safety.

"Cashing Out" is giving up certain social "to do's" to live the life you really desire; i.e. the New York corporate lawyer who leaves his practice to start his own river-rafting tour company on the Colorado River. I have already experienced this transition. Four years ago I left the comfort of a steady paycheck to "do my own thing." I became increasingly unhappy with corporate America and decided I was ready to work my tail off for ME this time!

"Clanning" is a loneliness trend. Despite our crazy schedules and "over-stimulated" lives, we still find ourselves struggling to connect to other human beings on a personal level. Clanning is trying to find like-minded people looking for commonality without going outside your cocoon. This is why social networking sites are taking off so quickly. We can make that connection and talk about the most intimate details of our lives with others, yet never have to leave the comfort of our home.

I'm curious to see how the next five to ten years will impact our lives. Will financial crises, natural disasters, political upheavals, religious wars and other stressful situations force us even further into our homes or cocoons where we'll have to settle for virtual relationships, or will we quickly tire of being afraid of the outside world and begin to crave even more face-to-face contact with others.

What do you think?

Until next time,

-Kate