I am in the process of converting much of what I use and eat to organic products. It is primarily a health decision (and at the strong encouragement of my doctors), but has become a more (w)holistic way of approaching life for me.
It makes me question everything... Where do my clothes come from, my carpet, my purses, my milk, crackers, sugar? We live in a world that allows us to be so disconnected from all the things we use and ingest. I can tell you for certain, for example, that were I forced to kill my own food, I would be a vegetarian. But I want to really think about what all this is, why I have it, and what needs to change.
Everything seems to be at odds. I buy clothes from the Gap made by maquiladoras and/or children in sweatshops, yet I champion children's and workers' rights and protection. I eat food in excess but click on the Hunger Site everyday. I put on a ridiculous amount of skincare products and makeup but have no idea where it comes from, what's in it, and worse yet I say I don't want to be defined by rigid gendered expectations.
Part of me wants to just start over... buy a plot of land in Amish country, build a simple green house made of cork and recycled bottles, and farm my own food. But I also don't want to be disconnected from the world at large. Globalization has had many harmful effects, but it helps us better connect to our suffering brothers and sisters. Genetically modified food might be inferior for me, but may provide food to someone who has none.
I don't know what the answers are, but taking small steps is pushing me in the right direction (I hope).
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2 comments:
Thanks for sharing the struggle with us; we are asking some of the same questions, and with 3 kiddos I've found myself thinking about these from many vantage points....profound ponderings, no doubt. Your thoughts in this post connect nicely to my latest post on Starbucks....love to know your thoughts...
Me and a buddy of mine got into a similar discussion about all of this after watching 'Blood Diamond'. We were talking about iron, oil, and such but weren't breaking it down to consumer products like this. I don't know how accurate the movie is, but it certainly seems like a [sick]lical process with the silver lining being someone getting a diamond in the end? It definitely makes many think twice. I don't know how many it makes act once. Thanks for sharing and challenging!
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