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January/February 2002 Conscious Media
Balance Point

Joseph Jenkins Reviewed by M. Speer

Joseph Jenkins’ Great Aunt Lucy died, and the terms of her Last Will and Testament require Joseph to travel to her home in Montana and open an envelope that has been left there for him. His aunt, Dr. Lucille Boggs, was a nuclear physicist who had been uncovering startling answers as to why humans remain indifferent to the looming ecological collapse that threatens our world today. In her research, Dr. Boggs was trying to find a “Balance Point” “between the Ego and Eco,” trying to unearth the missing link in the human consciousness that redefines who we are spiritually in non religious terms and forces us to see the dysfunction in how we relate from our ego to our eco system.”

Balance Point is a true account of Joseph’s reluctant journey to piece together the pieces of a puzzle held by various people detailed in the instructions in his aunt’s will. After being given $20,000 for expenses he and his wife start the journey to Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana where they consult a group of Wicca women and their crystal that leads them to St. Johns, Newfoundland to an entomologist where he picks up another piece of the puzzle. Professor Gaulton shows how “bee behavior” is akin to our “robbing frenzy” of the earth’s resources. He sends him on to see Dr. Tomasso, a pathologist, who compares human behavior to pathogens.

Joining his daughter and her boyfriend, both ecology majors, Jenkins and his wife trek to Peru to meet with Eduardo, a Shaman who believes that we are a part of a greater being linked to things he called the “Great Mystery”. Eduardo performs a ritual that opens a spiritual path for Jenkins. Back in the States, they visit Max and Melissa in Montana,” idea people” who explain that our society is like a symbiotic organism and that we need to live in harmony with the environment in a balanced and peaceful partnership.

Jenkins comes to the realization that his Aunt’s will led him to - that we are the pivotal generations that must have vision and foresight to aim for a future that is not marred by environmental collapse. That complacency is the largest obstacle that we don’t seem to care enough, that we need to practice the 4r’s, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Refuse.

Jenkins finally receives his legacy from Aunt Lucy when her attorneys agree that he has found his “Balance Point.” He receives $500,000 to divide between 10 charities. As Aunt Lucy states,” I’m sure you had no intention of using the money for yourself for personal reasons and I have saved you the trouble of trying to decide what to do with it.”

Jenkins gives us “Aunt Lucy’s Tips for Helping the Earth, and Things to Think About” including an excellent list for responsible business practices, thoughts on approaching foods, gardens, products, water, transportation, education, economics and speaking out and a thorough list of organizations to contact at the end of the 298 page book.

Joseph Jenkins @ Jenkins Publishing, Grove City, PA, www.jenkinspublishing.com