if you can't see the big picture. And judging from the piecemeal approach that a lot of RV posters' have been advocating, it would seem that the big picture is not up on most people's radar.

As painful as it may be to acknowledge, our culture has gone to great lengths to dumb down the populace and obscure the comprehensive overview. We are told only little bits and pieces of the truth, but then lulled to sleep by soothing reassurances that "everything is all right."

The media, in its' "crises-of-the-moment" style of reporting has come, told less than the whole TVA-ash story, and has now moved on. We so long clung to closed-minded parochial thinking as it seemed to suit our illusion, but now our parochialism has left us without allies. Roane County is standing alone, chest deep in disaster, and some in Roane County even deny that they have been affected.

Local politicians (Brant excluded), elected by a complacent constituency, have turned out to be of little help in our hour of need. Some still insist that they will come around if we will just "make-nice" and come on bended knee.

I do not personally know those who live at Swan Pond's "ground zero," but I can feel their pain and can empathize with their fear of being ignored and falling by the wayside. I also do not personally know those who have died, or had their homes destroyed as a result of mountaintop removal, yet I try to stand in their shoes and imagine the horror of their situation. Men die deep down in coal mines, I know not their names, but can sense their sacrifice.

In the name of justice from all those who needlessly die, become ill or homeless in the name of coal for electricity, I feel indebted. I hold myself responsible for my actions and my personal contribution to this energy nightmare that affects us all. Each time I turn on a light switch, another shovelful of coal with my name on it goes into the boiler, the fly ash into the waste stream, and the C02 into the atmosphere.

But I, like you, am not without power to help relieve the pain and suffering of my brothers and sisters. I, like you, can lessen my demand on this death producing fossil fuel. I, like you, can scale back, find alternatives, re-examine my needs vs. wants, live a simpler non-polluting life.

Author's note-the lighting at our computer station is provided by either our wind turbine or solar modules. Our TVA electric use is now down to a daily usage of 8.7 kilowatts. Living simply, so others may simply live.