een concerned about the “ozone layer” (remember the ‘70s?), wholesome and organic foods, the fates of endangered species, reducing and reusing and recycling... well, it’s been a long time. Long enough, I almost don’t want to admit to all those years!When I consider, I really began making some of the choices that now guide my life -- then considered avant garde or worse -- in the 1960s and certainly into the 1970s. Like many others, I was part of shift or groundswell for change that would, in many ways, end up permeating every aspect of my life by the time I got to... well, here and now. As I set out on this journey, some of the choices I made raised the eyebrows of those closest to me. Simple things.
I remember, for instance, the faces of my family when I first talked about eating in a way that was more healthy and considered the way things were raised and grown. It was shocking to talk that way about food then. And maybe, from the viewpoint of my elders, somewhat disrespectful. These were not choices you made then: you ate what your culture handed you and never mind where or how it was grown or killed.
And now? Now there is power even in decisions about that very simple thing: how we eat. Or, more importantly, the consideration and decisions we make before we prepare the foods we consume. And even beyond that: how we deal with the necessary waste associated with consumption. If a lot of people make responsible choices in that regard, we change the world. Simple things. A step at a time. Together.
We change the world.
Happy 40th Earth Day!
Rejoice because while there’s still a long way to go, we’ve come so very, very far.
