The river doesn't care . . .
Celebrating Satyr's day this 25th of 2023 March . . .
Since there is nothing but this moment, the time-being is all the time there is. – Dogen
Recently a well-informed friend whose opinion I sincerely value, suggested to me that this blog needed more controversy. Synchronistically, the following items from Grady Means and Mark Hyman showed up in the mailbox this morning, making it easy for me to take him at his word.
Since World War II, America has created gigantic industries in industrial farming to efficiently grow unhealthy, pesticide-laced food; processed food manufacturers and restaurant chains to create, market and sell unhealthy food; a health care industry that grows based upon disease from unhealthy food; a pharmaceutical industry that profits from creating drugs to treat the symptoms from unhealthy food; and a financial services industry that profits enormously from the growth and profitability of all these industries.” – Grady Means
There is a solution: Regenerative agriculture and real, unprocessed food. We need to eliminate subsidies for harmful, ultra-processed food and remove these products from public financing like SNAP and school lunches. Not only could this help us reverse the health crisis in America, it could save trillions of dollars in health care costs, too. – Mark Hyman, M.D.
While I agree whole-heartedly with both Means and Hyman, the solution politically, socially, culturally is, I think, a long way off. It's still “all about the Benjamins.” In the short term, the only recourse is to take on the responsibility for one's own health as completely as possible … which means finding the time and informative resources consistent with Hyman's functional/integrative medicine approach. If your family (and other) physician gives you resistance, find another one. I'm not talking about rejecting the allopathic (symptom/pill focused) approach. This is about taking personal responsibility within a broadened set of logically and critically applied parameters. It also means voting for candidates who support logic, reason, capitalist regulation, women and children, and who reject greed and fear mongering. Remember reading? Get back to it.
Speaking of reading, today marks birthday celebrations for several folks who’ve known and shared controversy on their way of building a better world:
Its the 89th anniversary of Gloria Steinem's birth. The writer and activist was born on this day in 1934 Toledo, Ohio.
The great Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist, and teacher Béla Bartók was born 142 years ago today in 1881 Sânnicolau Mare, Romania. His Concerto for Orchestra (Chicago Symphony/Reiner, RCA) was the first classical music record album I purchased as a teenager. It changed my ears and my life for the better. I'm listening to it now as I write.
And 98 years ago today Flannery O’Connor was born in 1925 Savannah, Georgia. The short-story writer and novelist turned 20th Century literature on its patriarchal head.
About writing, Ms. O’Connor has been quoted as have said: “Writing a novel is a terrible experience, during which the hair often falls out and the teeth decay. I’m always irritated by people who imply that writing. . .is an escape from reality. It is a plunge into reality and it’s very shocking to the system.” Also reflecting on writing, Ms. Steinman reportedly said: “Writing is the only thing that, when I do it, I don’t feel I should be doing something else.” Gloria also penned “The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off.”
If you find yourself embarrassed at being accused of being “woke,” it might be a clue that you missed critical reasoning in school.
Take that into our corporate patriarchal world. Out the door, keep in mind: The river doesn't care. It's raining somewhere. Happy, joy, free, peace.