Thursday, January 10, 2008

Speaking of Eating

http://www.friendsofthetrees.net/images/Feeding_the%20_People.pdf
Interesting paper on how Peak Food is coming right at us. All the more reason to save seeds and plant them, and eat! Some of the statistics in this paper are astounding (for those who like their intellect tickled by numbers--it's got em).

Also I read this short bit of an essay by Jeffrey Sawyer, noted from an inquiry into living while walking the roads of america, mexico and beyond, and it struck me:

"Starvation is much of a concern in the West, but beneath the surface, at a very base level, is the fear that one will go hungry. We're also afraid of losing our homes, our reputations, our loved ones. Ultimately, we fear death. These fears have us act in ways that, over time, burden us to the point where we live either a grave or a superficial life.

I had set out to see for myself what happened when one goes forward alone into uncertainty without a reliable source of food, among other things. While I was walking through Rhode Island, hunger left me. For four days, no thought of eating emerged. Though four days is, for many, not a long time to go without, it was enough to show me that lack of food is nothing to fear. As fear and want diminish, the drive to eat dissipates, and one is filled with spirit alone.

There are fine treats to be found along a road, however, and I do not wish to resist an apple from a tree. It is like an explosion of all tastes at once. It is a paradise of sorts. When I see the fallen apples, bruised and squashed on the road, my spirits fly. I use them to knock down others from the branches as I dodge the cars flying by. After five or six fall, I fill my pockets and continue walking up the road, chewing them one after another. It is all so lovely. One may say that I am homeless, but actually my home is all of this."

much love to all,
sharqi

4 comments:

Mary Kinirons said...

That is quite an amazing clipping. Fear definitely drive many peoples lives. If only we could live with simplicity. But humans are too over analytical of life and paranoid of all the possible outcomes that ones way of life is just rooted in the fear of the 'what ifs'. The simple things in life are totally unappreciated by society as a whole, thus blinding all to the beauty of something as common as an apple, as expressed in the selection. Definitely gets one thinking.

sharqi said...

Sometimes I think it make a dent in me, to go back to the essentials--food, shelter, heat. Once I've got those down, maybe I can move into the realm of tool, and then maybe, maybe the realm of possessions. Starting with a life stuffed full of stuff is hard--hard to get appreciative of any one thing. Not feeling like I'm making any sense, but it's probably due to lack of wine yet this evening. One cup, apple cider, fresh and tangy, one sip at a time. Feel.

Unknown said...

echo

Unknown said...

sharqi u know what's good in this life. now it's just a matter of creating a superabundance of it for everyone to access and develop appreciation for it! a noble savage's lifework. VFD moves forward. couple of are propagating the faerie rose tuesday night, so big hips for all purposes will be widely available in a couple years! also a meeting with local gatekeeper to get money for trees. mutual wishes of luck. vivir vino veritas 8)