We've hit the edge of the future

I wanted to call out a New York Times op-ed piece from Douglas Coupland, titled "Back On Walton's Mountain" .
It's been stuck in the front of my brain since I read it last week. It's such a short, succinct provocation: many of us have wanted to consume less for many years, and now that we've accomplished it (through no choice of our own, largely) we're alarmed by the knock-on effect our swerving emotions are having upon our economy.
Will we adjust, how, and what to? Or will we hold our breath and wait for a return to our old ways?