happy turkey!
my thanksgiving menu consisted of baked chicken, stuffing, roasted potatoes, chestnut soup. now the chicken bones are cooking for soup -- yum. i went to whole foods today to pick up something for a light lunch. on our way out, i noticed a sign for free day old bread, french baguettes. i asked how many i could take, and an employee said "as much as you want. we have more in the back." i can only honestly fit a couple loaves in my freezer, so i grabbed two, wondering how much more there really was. where is the rest of it going to end up? in the trash? in someone's belly? what a waste if it's thrown out. the crappy thing about the whole food dumpsters is that they're covered and locked so not even a resourceful dumpster diver can access them. as americans, we are incredibly wasteful, even when we think we are not. consumerism is so glorified: the day-after-thanksgiving sales, christmas glut, new's years last chance, "don't miss this!" markdown. can't we just use what we have? reuse? recycle? spread the wealth, give what we have excess of. the grocery store was doing this, but to people with money to buy food. what about the guy outside peddling for change, needing new shoes and a coat without holes? while some get fat on our burgers and money, there are people wasting away, physically and mentally, in the u.s. and third world countries. they can't eat, can't pay bills, sell family hierlooms to live, or have no place to call home. it's sad.
as much as i silently complain about being on call at the hospital, not getting enough sleep, wishing i could spend more time reading, writing, running, spending time with loved ones, i know that i have so much to be thankful for. i have a roof over my head that doesn't leak. i have a home with heat, running water, electricity. i have the ability to drive to the grocery store because i own a car. i can take the train because i have the $1.75 to pay for it. i know i will have three meals a day, with food that i can choose without looking at every price tag.
there are two stories that make me think about my how much i have in my life. 1) i remember long ago rockyrockstar posted the link to sarah mclachlan's video "world on fire" (http://www.worldonfire.ca/). the images are indelible.
2) npr just did a story last week called "a rural struggle to keep the family fed" (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5018670) about a family in virginia taking extraordinary measures to eat and live. read the intro and listen to the story. it made it's mark on me. hunger is everywhere, next door and across the oceans.
give thanks. we have so much. stop the "IF i do blah blah blah, THEN i will be happy" thinking. be happy.
as much as i silently complain about being on call at the hospital, not getting enough sleep, wishing i could spend more time reading, writing, running, spending time with loved ones, i know that i have so much to be thankful for. i have a roof over my head that doesn't leak. i have a home with heat, running water, electricity. i have the ability to drive to the grocery store because i own a car. i can take the train because i have the $1.75 to pay for it. i know i will have three meals a day, with food that i can choose without looking at every price tag.
there are two stories that make me think about my how much i have in my life. 1) i remember long ago rockyrockstar posted the link to sarah mclachlan's video "world on fire" (http://www.worldonfire.ca/). the images are indelible.
2) npr just did a story last week called "a rural struggle to keep the family fed" (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5018670) about a family in virginia taking extraordinary measures to eat and live. read the intro and listen to the story. it made it's mark on me. hunger is everywhere, next door and across the oceans.
give thanks. we have so much. stop the "IF i do blah blah blah, THEN i will be happy" thinking. be happy.