Isn’t this a wonderful way of categorising things in our lives? So simple and can apply not only to physical objects but activities and most especially, states of mind. (*)
If we start with the simple things like transport we’d have to keep cars, trains, buses and planes but noisy polluting motorcycles would be on my “lose” list. Also there would be fast food restaurants, street vendors who block the roads and billboards of any shape or size.
But we’d have to keep convenience stores, supermarkets and ATM’s, all good modern conveniences. But here in Bali the developers want to lose rice fields, open spaces and views, and the authorities allow them. Why not just cut down all trees, dig up all lawns and pull down the classical Balinese buildings too?
Isn’t there a clear list in the government’s mind of “things worth keeping”. In Europe these are institutionalised as “Grade One Listed Building/Site” (etc.) which cannot be touched. We are losing so many things that need preserved and gaining so many that wouldn’t pass the test-if there was one.
As Jon Mitchell said in the (original) Big Yellow Taxi, “you won’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone”.
Keep that in mind.
(*) Worth keeping : happiness, joy, peace, friendliness. Worth losing : anger, bitterness, resentment, hate, sadness
