If
you thought yesterday's post was winding and disorganized, today will be even
worse.
Most
recently it started with this article:
Someone
posted it in an online group I am in, assuming it was snake oil, but there were
group members who were familiar with the company and people who used it and
they said it seemed pretty legitimate.
I
have been interested in natural remedies for a while (though I rule out
homeopathy, fair or not), and I was fascinated by this other article:
I
do have some skepticism, but some openness too. Mental illness seems to be spreading,
and while hardened hearts might be a part of that, there are neurological
components as well. I can't rule out that pollutants in the environment or
chemicals in the food are an issue. I know people whose children react badly to
Red Dye #5, but I also know that a potassium deficiency can have symptoms that appear
psychological.
That's
why I can't rule out that the father with his supplement is onto something.
Maybe it won't work for everyone, but if there are people it helps, that's
great. Even if it's a placebo effect, but one they didn't get with conventional
medicine, that's worth something.
That
leads to the next way in which gardening can be revolutionary. Eating fresh
fruits and vegetables is better nutrition. If there are nutrients missing from
the processed diet, gardening could get them onto the plate. That is a way to
contribute to your health and happiness.
That
leads me to the earlier start. I don't remember what had led to it, but it
could have been related to my very long reading list. I know I was on Twitter,
and what occurred to me, and I tried to express it in a tweet, is that one of
the most radical things I do is liking myself.
That
shouldn't be radical, but there is a multi-million dollar advertising industry
working to convince you that you and your happiness are incomplete without
their products.
Those
products may contain additives that affect your brain like addictive chemicals,
they may rot your teeth or encourage the buildup of dangerous visceral fat, or
clog your arteries. The companies that make them may hit a plateau for how much
people will eat, so try and get behind super-sizing and fourth meal. They do
not have your best interests at heart.
(They
will also remind you that the common weight gain that results from their foods
is hideous, and they have lots of products for that.)
Rejecting
that is revolutionary. It is also increasingly difficult for people who are
overworked and overstressed and underpaid. Gardening can still help, and so it
remains a revolutionary move to me.
And
happiness and self-acceptance are revolutionary. I had been writing about my
own healing, and then I took a step toward the more socio-political. Now the
pendulum is swinging back to the personal. The truth is, they are never that
far apart. The world affects me, but the person I bring to the world can have
an effect too.
That's
where we're heading. I am of course leaving on vacation Saturday, so I may post
some writing updates first, or some creative writing. I might even have some
blank days. I still remain less organized, and with less time than I would
like.
The
schedule remains uncertain, but the next round of tasks I have for myself will
be completed, and I will write about them. Watch and see.
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