"Hollow Bones" takes place in the not-too-distant future when many of the changes predicted by Native American spiritual leaders have come true. It is the story of a man's life that has unraveled since the death of his wife and a journey toward a new beginning.

Paul is worried about consumption. He's worried about the world's resources and environment. He's worried about the way people spend and set their priorities.

"As the old structures decline and fail — as I absolutely believe they are — there is a corresponding rise of these other possibilities. It's an alternative way of being in the world."

He is living his own advice. Now Paul walks everywhere from his Avenues home. He rarely drives a car. He spends the morning meditating. He takes time to write and do things that are impossible in the chaos of regular life.

Paul's book is not about activism, he says. It is not about a singular issue like global warming. "It's about heeding that warning that Native Americans gave so many years ago," he said.

Ultimately, the message, he says, is, "Through you, good things can happen."

Champions for change

"Champions for change" is a periodic feature in the Deseret Morning News that will spotlight ordinary Utahns taking extraordinary steps to bring positive change to their community, country or world.

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If you know a person who's working to make Utah a better place, call Lucinda Dillon Kinkead at 237-2191, or e-mail lucy@desnews.com.