PSA: The More You Know

Omg, I've got to stop watching environmental and health Netflix Documentaries. They are turning me into a freak; I sound like an alarmist, tree-hugging hippy-freak. Actually, I keep my mouth shut more often then I should; I know people don’t want to hear it; A look comes over their face and message is received loud and clear, “Don’t tell me how bad my bacon or diet soda is, thank you very much!” 

I watched my first food health and environment documentary, “Food Inc.”, in 2008 (pre-Netflixs) with my sister-in-law, Patti. We went to the theater and had moments where we gasped out loud because of the information that was presented about humane and inhumane farming. Patti committed herself to only eating humanely treated animals. Then I watched “An Inconvenient Truth” about the environment. It was an alarm documentary that was disregarded as only a fire drill. 

I’ve since watched these informative documentaries multiple times:

·       Earthlings

·       Cowspiracy

·       What the Health

·       Forks Over Knives

·       Before The Flood 

·       Food Matters

·       Hungry For Change

 ·     The Plastic Ocean

All these documentaries have a few things in common: they bring to light what’s been done in darkness to our oceans, in slaughterhouses, and on Capitol Hill--that involve profits for big corporations in exchange for big donations.

These truth-telling documentaries are about saving our health, our water, our food supply, and our environment that are all in perilous and imminent danger. The planet will survive, some species will survive, but it’s unlikely that humans in the next century will, if we don’t heed the warnings in these documentaries.

I’ve always been curious and intuitively aligned with the right way to eat or live in unity with biology and nature. However, I suck at pulling it off. I was addicted to cheese, like others are addicted to smoking or heroin. I’ve always admired those who are early adopters to recycling or whole food plant-based eating. It took my 10-year old neighbor to guilt me into recycling while in my forties (although, he had no idea he was doing that). It’s interesting how we can go blindly through life and miss daily opportunities to collaborate with our environment and each other on a higher conscious level. Humans are the only species that doesn’t live consistently in harmony with nature.

I’m a work in progress. But I'm teachable. I’m learning slowly how to do better in my own personal eco-world. I need these documentaries to help intellectually undo decades of conditioning and emotional attachments to food. I see the greater good; I suppose we all do. “The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” I’d like to have meaningful conversations with like-minded people who are also searching for harmony in their body, in their world, and in their life. It’s hard to be challenged to do better: stop using plastic (to save our oceans); stop eating meat (for too many reasons to list); to care about all species and not just ourselves; to be good stewards of the earth. It’s even harder when our own government throws away decades of EPA legislation and reneges on funding (because military money spent on the MOABs are more important).

I watch most of these documentaries with Rich. We have never watched them from start to finish. We pause them a dozen times in shock. Most people don’t know what’s happening (just like us before we watched). I want to shout from the rooftops that we are being ‘duped’ by the people who are meant to protect us--the medical and pharmaceutical associations, and our own government. We are not just being duped; we’re being betrayed! The government has been colluding with dozens and dozens of lobbyist who persuade the lawmakers to look the other way and write loose laws to protect their profits. The American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association, The American Cancer Society, etc., all are sponsored in the tens of millions of dollars from big corporations (e.g., Big Agra, Big Pharma, the Beef, Poultry and Dairy Associations, etc.) that are killing people. Obviously, this is a conflict of interest.

Watch some of these documentaries and you’ll be profoundly affected. (It may take a while to overcome years of conditioning and emotional attachments to beliefs or food and lifestyle choices, but you’re changed. Forever.) 

The neglect or concern for our planet is somewhat of a reflection of the neglect or concern for our health. When we choose to be apathetic about the treatment of animals, the environment, or our health (in spite of momentary good intentions), things start to degrade and problems will arise. This has played out in my own life. Knowledge is power. I get inspired by informed doctors and scientists, and people who have changed and make changes. The good news is when we start eating healthy, within weeks or months we can get off medications: diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol meds. What if we all got inspired to clean up our diets (at our own pace of course), and then commit to cleaning up the planet? I always say that the ‘body wants to heal.’ I believe our planet wants that too. You know who knows this? Children. Nature is always trying to get our attention.

Just like the body, nature will put up with much abuse. But her main desire is to rejuvenate and sustain us. We can’t be naïve to think that we aren’t apart of the equation to restore balance and health to our suffering planet and our bodies. We can reverse heart disease, lower our blood pressure, our insulin levels and the risk of cancer by the choices we make, we can also choose to restore the planet. Both healings begin one person at a time, and one choice at a time…and then somehow finding the resolve to keep making those choices.

Don't Leave Politics To The Politicians

Some days I wish I never turned on the TV and watched the Jimmy Carter election returns 40 years ago.  For some strange reason, I found democracy interesting.

Had I never stayed up into the wee hours to watch those returns, it would be so much easier to go about my days and not care that we presently have the worst president in the Oval Office in the history of EVER! I wouldn’t care that our president acts like a defiant, spoiled teenager who when he doesn’t get his way, tweets his asinine stream of vindictive consciousness for the world to see. Never mind that these malevolent tweets have had economic, national security, national honor, and constitutional fall out. If political governance had not hooked me, I wouldn’t care that Trump pathologically lies. I wouldn’t care that he is Teflon. I wouldn’t care that top Republicans look away from said lies because they are in a position of power but have lost their souls. I wouldn’t care one way or the other if he denies or takes responsibility when those lies are proven to not match the facts. I wouldn’t care that millions can’t afford their health care insurance; and some can’t use it because deductibles are so high; it levels people financially. I wouldn’t care that millions will be profiled, deported or refused entry into this country because of their race or religion. I wouldn’t care that gay or transgender children will be bullied (many will die from suicide) and will have to stay in the shadows for another decade. I wouldn’t care that PBS funding for Sesame Street will be cut. I wouldn’t care that this administration has limited access of the open and Free Press to this administration on a daily basis. I wouldn't care that the President and his advisers demonize anyone who is trying to investigate truth by calling the majority of news reports “fake news”. I wouldn’t care that our president won’t allow both the Congress and the Senate Houses, and the American people, access  to see his tax returns. I wouldn't care that he's not being forthright and open about his campaign’s ties with Russia. I wouldn’t care that he has no tact or gracious diplomacy with our allies and foreign nations. He tweets his verbal warnings on social media (like I post what my dog did today). I wouldn’t have this little pit of fear in my stomach that a nuclear bomb may go off while I’m sleeping and when I wake up we’ll be going to war with North Korea (or China because we owe them bigly). I wouldn’t care about a hundred things that make me say at least once a week, “WTF is happening? ” Yes, I say that! And I no longer care if anyone is offended. This is the same kind of spontaneous swearing as when you hit your toe on the bedpost in the middle of the night. It’s primal swearing. My bullshit detector goes off at least a few times each day while watching or reading political news. It’s emotionally exhausting and disturbing. 

If I thought it was just me who was too sensitive, I’d ask for forgiveness and take a vacation. But it’s not just me. People I’ve respected for decades (in the press, in all branches of government, and diplomats around the world) are watching and speaking up—even respected Republicans. Millions are still protesting and trying to get this president’s attention to hear the concerns of 2/3 of the country (that didn’t vote for him) that he should also represent.  His ego deflects what WE THE PEOPLE have to say. Hundreds of thousands are showing up at town hall meetings and demanding their elected officials listen and vote accordingly (including their voter base). MOST are NOT listening or voting accordingly. Their jobs in 2018 and 2020 are at stake (on the local, state, and national level). 

I’ve showed up with signs at protests. I’ve made some calls. I’ve written letters. But now I’m giving my most precious commodity—my time! If you know me, I don’t give it away easily.

My new Florida friend, Kim Lorimier, also new to Florida, but more plugged in than me, started giving me the heads up on the Indian River County Democrats. I was thrilled to learn there are actually Democrats in our predominately Republican town and county. 

Kim knows I’m passionate about politics and has seen some of my political posts on Facebook. She invited me to the IRC Dems Communication Committee. At first I wondered what I had gotten myself into? How much of a time commitment will this be? I don’t know anything about local governance (only national). Kim is a graphic website designer. Others on the Communications Committee are writers of political policy, or were in marketing. They asked me what I did (wondering what marketable communications skill I brought to the table). All I said was I teach yoga therapy and I’m friendly. 

It’s taken me a while to learn some of the local political players and the local and state democrat vision. I don’t say much. But when it comes to social media, I found I naturally had something to say about how communications works. I’ve been on social media since 2007. I’ve run many open and closed Facebook Groups. I know how to Tweet. The Communications Committee is an older group. I realize that even though I’m 53, I’m an active and engaged social media contributor. I think this is where I can best serve my community and my political party. Kim Lorimier, the vice chair of the Communications Committee, tapped me to head up the IRC Dems Social Media Team. 

So while I have days I wish I never cared about politics, I can’t help it. It’s how I’m wired. Half of the conversations Rich and I have are about politics and social justice issues. And while many issues don’t even affect me, they affect my spiritual core values. So I will speak up and fight for what I believe is right and fair (for all, not just the rich), and now I will do so in the public arena—regardless of any criticism from naysayers. 

I realize now more than ever that it is the courage to withstand vilification because of an unbending commitment to justice that marks many of the people I admire most in history--the Founding Fathers, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King & Bobby Kennedy-to name a few. I don’t pretend to be in their league, but it feels good to be publicly involved and engaged in trying to make the world a better place. 

“Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.” ~Robert F. Kennedy

Maybe the reason I care, goes all the way back to 1976 when I watched those President Jimmy Carter's election returns? I've followed his career as a politician, a man of faith, a diplomat, and humanitarian. I wish I had half his energy for goodwill. For now, I'll contribute by bringing social media awareness and excitement to the Democratic going-ons in my Florida county. If anything matters to us politically, no matter the party, we just need to be that tiny ripple. (Unless you're for Trump.) 😉

She's Here

Dear Annika Rose, 

Welcome to the world and to our family. We've been anxiously awaiting your arrival. You were loved even before you arrived February 23rd (on your actual due date). You weighed 7-lbs 9-1/2oz. We all rejoice and thank God that you are healthy and here. 

You're mom and dad have waited a long time to prepare for your arrival; they're going to be awesome parents. You'll probably grow up kicking a soccer ball while singing Broadway tunes. We know that you'll be raised in a home where you'll be taught that God loves you and wants you to enjoy this remarkable experience called life. 

You're our 6th Grandchild and just as precious as the other five. We look forward to seeing who you're going to grow up to be (you're unique personality, talents, interests, and the wonderful path you're life takes). 

When you grow older and learn to watch television, you're going to hear about a magical kingdom called Disney World. You need to make sure you let your mom and dad know that this is a place you must see regularly with your Oma and Opa. This magic place is right in our backyard (about 1-1/2 hours away). And we also live near the ocean, in a place where it's summer all year round, called Florida. We can build sandcastles and look for seashells. Until you're ready to come meet Mickey, Snow White, and Prince Charming, we will look forward to coming to see you in Colorado and holding you in our arms, playing peekaboo, dancing in tutus and singing. 

We love you Little Blessing. We will pray for you your whole life and be up in your balcony cheering you on. 

Doomsday or Today

A few days ago I heard that the Doomsday Clock (yes, that’s a real thing) has been set at two and a half minutes before midnight.

In 1947 the Doomsday Clock was officially set for the first time at 7 minutes to midnight. In 1949, the clock was set at 3 minutes to midnight because the Soviet Union tested the first atomic bomb, officially starting the arms race (1)

I would have been concerned if it was at 11:00pm. But, two and a half minutes to midnight? What the heck? Are we sticking our heads in the sand on this? 

 Have we all gone to bed early, hoping not to hear the coming 

storm in our sleep? With the symbolic clock ticking closer to world catastrophe, are we going to roll over and sleep in and hit the snooze button?

We’ve had times the clock gained some minutes. The furthest from midnight was in 1991 when the Soviet Union and the United States signed the first Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty; later the Soviet Union went through dissolution; the clock was 17 minutes from midnight. I supposed we all exhaled when the US and the Soviet Union finally came to the table and talked. In 1991 we watched happy movies like Father of the Bride or City Slickers without a care in the world back then. Michael Jackson’s Black or White got us thinking about equality. (2) Those were good times.

The clock is now inching its way toward history repeating itself or worse. The clock was moved even closer to midnight again ‘because of the Rise of Nationalism, United States President Donald Trumps comments over nuclear weapons, the threat of a renewed arms race between the U.S. and Russia, and the disbelief in scientific consensus over climate change by the Trump Administration.” This is the closest it’s approached midnight since 1953. (1) 

The first week of the Trump Presidency has my head spinning and my gut in knots. There are so many things wrong with it: lies, executive orders that will impact the lives of millions, dispensing away with years and years of diplomatic process and economic gains with Tweets. 

I feel like I’m beating a drum on a hilltop but nobody is listening or believes me (except my human rights, science and journalistic-minded friends); all those crazy liberal friends of mine who care about human and civil rights and climate change more than economics. The progressive America that I believed in has taken deliberate ‘mother may I’ steps back 50 years; we have four more years of this ‘kind’ of unprecedented, censoring leadership. The Almighty Dollar is worth more than Almighty God’s exhortation to love and serve all mankind, and steward the world he’s given us.  So like it or not…tick tock.

My dearest friend, Jessie posted something on Facebook the other day: “Getting on FB has been tough lately. So much spewing and anger. May our hearts be revived to live again...to look around and see and feel real LIFE. Joy! Tell me your favorite song. Get your fingers in the paint. What are you excited about? What are the birds singing in your yard? Feel the sun on your face. Live. It’s all gonna be okay. Give love to someone. Heal. Unplug.  Go quiet. Pray. Breathe.”

At first I noticed my internal resistance. “That’s great Jess, I’ll just keep banging on my drum. Feels like the world’s going to end and you remind us how to live life.” Her words stuck like peanut butter on the roof of my soul.

I love Jessie so much. She’s one of the kindest, most whimsically artistic, gentle, godly, and childlike souls I know. If ever I would worship at someone’s feet other than Jesus, it would be Jessie’s. We’ve been through hard things that troubled us deeply: we wept at the state of the world after 9/11. We’ve prayed and anguished as mothers while we watched our children struggle or spin out of control. We loved our husbands and hoped we could do well by them. Jessie’s grace through it all has always wowed me. She lights up a room and she probably doesn’t even know how much wattage she puts out. Her words to me never fall to the ground.

My former neighbor, Randy, and I have both been blasting our Facebook Wall with political and human rights posts. We’re both as mad as hell and truly concerned about the direction our country is taking from the White House. We are not trying to be obnoxious or feel we have the corner on the truth (okay, maybe Randy does). ;-) No, things happening these first few weeks of the Trump Administration affect us both personally. We post to educate.

Most Americans hate politics and don’t want to engage. I get it. And now 45, The Tea Party Right, The Alt-Right, and surrogates of 45 have created a narrative of doubt: “the press are scum”, “alternative facts”, “you can’t trust the lying press”, “they should shut up.” Some people have grown apathetic and don’t want to hear it; it’s easier to do Sudoku or binge watch on Netflix.

Randy, is posting a Far Side cartoon each morning now. While the world has gone crazy (to us), he hasn’t lost his sense of humor, or the need to balance the bad with the good. I admit I’m working on how to do that as well. I’m not trying to be obnoxious nor are my political minded friends. We’re just putting it out there for those who are curious as they are scrolling their Facebook News Feed.

Even though all this Doomsday ‘tick tock’ and changing of the guard in Washington are flipping me out, I gotta get a grip and also live in the moment. Jessie was onto something. What did I need to heal? How can I unplug and get quiet? I haven’t exhaled since November 8^th.  So I went to the beach and searched for sea glass and red & white seashells.

The morning I went to the sea, it was overcast with layers of gray and lavender skies. Since moving to Florida, I can’t get over how artistically inspiring the sky appears from day to day; it’s a masterpiece. Thank goodness this day the waves didn’t match my inner agitation of late; it was offering me a different view. The undulation of the waves was unusually calm and unfazed. I really needed to be here to take in this moment. For millions of years the ocean has committed to it’s gravitational purpose. Life goes on. Nature is proof of that. 

I look out towards the horizon knowing Africa is 4,000 miles away, and the planet is spinning at 1,040mph. When I step into the cool sea, it feels like I’m officially connected to every continent in the world; I’m one with everyone in the world. I’m as small in the universe as speck of sand on the shore. And as much as I think I know things, I know nothing. A sense of infinite awe washes over me. 

I tap into my inner Anne Marrow Lindbergh. Each time I’m at the ocean we have a little moment together. I’ll ask the sea if it has any gifts for me. I’ll search for sea glass as a meditative experience; it slows me down; they are not easy to find on the eastern shores of Florida. It requires stepping on lots of broken seashells. Lately, I’ve felt a little broken inside too. 

I walk slowly and mindfully over a shell cluster area. I make sure to balance my weight and steady the placement of my foot so the shells can fit in just the right spaces as not to jab or cut. I’ll stand still and scan the multiple colors of fragment shells. The sea glass is not obvious. I’ll soften my gaze and relax. What do I notice? I’m waiting for my eyes to see what my thinking mind will miss. I’m as giddy as a kid when I find a tiny colored piece of sea glass; usually they are green, white, or amber. I pick it up quickly in case my thinking mind takes over or a wave washes it away. I’ll look at it then turn to the sea smile and say, “Thank you.” The glass is smoothed down by time and pressure. Such is life. These are my gifts from the sea. 

According to scholars and Atomic scientists, the Doomsday Clock is a real and present danger. I personally think the Trump Administration is an actual present danger to world peace. My life has been changed since Nov 8^th, however, not as much as my Muslim friends, and my friends in need of equal rights and health services and affordable health care. 

I’m trying to figure out what my part will be in standing up for human and civil rights: march and boycott? Policies of each president are up for debate. I recognize that many who voted for 45 wanted more American jobs and less government. I welcome and support those changes. Yet, when it becomes a partisan issue, and Republicans turn a blind eye against our American values, rule of law, human rights, and freedom of the press, we’ve lost our way. The same would be true if it was the other way around.

I’m cool if people want less and responsible fiscal government. I worry that I’ve pissed too many people off who don’t know my heart when I post political news. But those are things I can’t control. I’m worried about my friends whose lives are impacted by this Administration. If we had lunch together and I told you their stories, you'd be moved to action too. At the end of the day I try to do my best to live from a place of integrity to my core values; that’s something I can control. 

The Piano Guys song may be right; It's Gonna Be Okay. In the meantime, I’ll just be me. I'll stay engaged with things that matter. I'll march or make phone calls if I have to. I’ll pick up gifts from the sea off the beach, take more pictures than is normal on a camera phone, laugh, paint and play the mandolin, take sunrise and sunset walks with Rich, watch Buddha run at the doggy park, eat more sushi when Kevin's in town, connect with friends far and near, look forward to the next opportunity to travel and see Adam, Sarah, and April and our Grandkiddos, bask in the Florida sunshine, and teach people how to get out of emotional and physical pain with yoga therapy and meditation.  

Doomsday may or may not happen. However, it should give us all pause. What is the collective consciousness of our country and the world at large? I'm concerned but not consumed with it. Yet, at this present moment, with all it's stories, all that's actually happening is I'm typing on my computer watching my dog eat a Himalayan bone.   

(1)          Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doomsday_Clock

(2)          http://www.pop-culture.us/Annual/1991.html

               https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pBjopDymts