Fallen, skinned and busted,
bloodied, scrapped, and dirty
smiling cause the sun can't hurt me.
smiling cause the pain is real
Bruised, all blue and purple,
red eyed, crying, and blue
laughing cause the wall inside me
laughing cause the words bite
Trapped, harried and hunted,
hiding, trembling, and fearful
singing cause the birds taught me
singing cause the cage is fixed
Dancing, laughing and smiling
singing, pretending, and kind
crying cause the black inside me
crying cause You turned away
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Monday, April 16, 2012
Ethical Meat Eating
The New York Times recently held a writing contest to write 600 words about the ethics of eating meat. Unfortunately I found out about the contest after the due date of submissions. Nevertheless I thought it was an interesting question. What makes eating meat Ethical?
Ethically eating meat is hard. If one is on a tight budget and cares a lot about what you eat, it can be nearly impossible. However, I am a firm believer that ethically eating meat is a possibility. The ethics of what you eat really comes down to how you view what you eat. Most would agree that ethical consumption of food includes supporting local agriculture, organic practices, and fair prices for the farmer. Along with this is the production of the food, who picks, cleans, packages, and transports the food stuff.
However, in the case of meat, ethical practices must take in to concentration the care of the animals themselves which are to become meat or are used to produce eggs and milk. This is possibly the hardest part of making meat ethical. A lot of farmers who grass feed their cattle and chickens, already care far better for their animals then 'factory' farms. Cattle are allowed to roam, chickens are allowed to scratch, and both act as they do naturally. Although many large production meat plants do not take into account the fears of the animals, many changes have taken place in the industry to reduce stress and pain to the animals during slaughter. By far most butchers make sure to humanly kill animals. Furthermore, in many cases local, small farmers, take extremely good care of their animals through their whole life spand. They do this because it makes both finical sense and ethical sense. I have an uncle who raises beef cattle. He has named most of his animals, sometimes even the ones that are going to be sent to the butcher get names. Yes, he is raising the cattle for meat. Yes, they will be killed. However, they spend their lives out in a beautiful field in upstate NY, living well until the day comes for them to die. I can't think of a better way to live.
The argument that most will raise at this point is that the animal must die. To this I must state three things. (1) All things must die. Whether it is the spinach in my salad or the cow that my steak is from. Why shouldn't we use what is nutritious for our bodies? (2) Animals are not on the same level as humans. I am sure that there are those out there who disagree. Nevertheless, I think science has yet to put animals above human's in the food chain. And personally I believe that humans have mind and soul higher then animals. (3) Just because I eat meat does not mean that I want to misuse animals. Although animals are lower then humans, I do not believe that we have a right to misuse them. Again I ask, why shouldn't we use what is nutritious for our bodies?
Lastly, I must confront the misconception that it is possible to have a balanced nutritious diet without animal products. If you want to eat natural foods, not synthetically enriched foods, you need to eat animal products. B12 is found naturally only in animal products. If you do not eat meat you have to find a source of B12, either through enriched food or by taking a vitamin. I know in this day and age it is really easy to get a vitamin or enriched cereal, however, I would argue that natural is always better. Plus you are more likely to absorb a vitamin that naturally part of what you are eating, then you are from taking a pill.
Although not everyone wants to eat meat, I think it is very possibly to eat meat ethically. As an important part of natural food, animals products are the only natural source of B12. Yes, ethically eating meat takes more time and energy. Yes, ethical meat can cost more money. Yes, more is needed to make the meat industry ethical overall. However, this does not mean it is wrong or unethical to eat animal products. Rather one must be cognizant of what you are eating, whether it is animal product or not.
Ethically eating meat is hard. If one is on a tight budget and cares a lot about what you eat, it can be nearly impossible. However, I am a firm believer that ethically eating meat is a possibility. The ethics of what you eat really comes down to how you view what you eat. Most would agree that ethical consumption of food includes supporting local agriculture, organic practices, and fair prices for the farmer. Along with this is the production of the food, who picks, cleans, packages, and transports the food stuff.
However, in the case of meat, ethical practices must take in to concentration the care of the animals themselves which are to become meat or are used to produce eggs and milk. This is possibly the hardest part of making meat ethical. A lot of farmers who grass feed their cattle and chickens, already care far better for their animals then 'factory' farms. Cattle are allowed to roam, chickens are allowed to scratch, and both act as they do naturally. Although many large production meat plants do not take into account the fears of the animals, many changes have taken place in the industry to reduce stress and pain to the animals during slaughter. By far most butchers make sure to humanly kill animals. Furthermore, in many cases local, small farmers, take extremely good care of their animals through their whole life spand. They do this because it makes both finical sense and ethical sense. I have an uncle who raises beef cattle. He has named most of his animals, sometimes even the ones that are going to be sent to the butcher get names. Yes, he is raising the cattle for meat. Yes, they will be killed. However, they spend their lives out in a beautiful field in upstate NY, living well until the day comes for them to die. I can't think of a better way to live.
The argument that most will raise at this point is that the animal must die. To this I must state three things. (1) All things must die. Whether it is the spinach in my salad or the cow that my steak is from. Why shouldn't we use what is nutritious for our bodies? (2) Animals are not on the same level as humans. I am sure that there are those out there who disagree. Nevertheless, I think science has yet to put animals above human's in the food chain. And personally I believe that humans have mind and soul higher then animals. (3) Just because I eat meat does not mean that I want to misuse animals. Although animals are lower then humans, I do not believe that we have a right to misuse them. Again I ask, why shouldn't we use what is nutritious for our bodies?
Lastly, I must confront the misconception that it is possible to have a balanced nutritious diet without animal products. If you want to eat natural foods, not synthetically enriched foods, you need to eat animal products. B12 is found naturally only in animal products. If you do not eat meat you have to find a source of B12, either through enriched food or by taking a vitamin. I know in this day and age it is really easy to get a vitamin or enriched cereal, however, I would argue that natural is always better. Plus you are more likely to absorb a vitamin that naturally part of what you are eating, then you are from taking a pill.
Although not everyone wants to eat meat, I think it is very possibly to eat meat ethically. As an important part of natural food, animals products are the only natural source of B12. Yes, ethically eating meat takes more time and energy. Yes, ethical meat can cost more money. Yes, more is needed to make the meat industry ethical overall. However, this does not mean it is wrong or unethical to eat animal products. Rather one must be cognizant of what you are eating, whether it is animal product or not.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Oh My...
a soft glance, a sparkling eye
barely a touch, a brush, a sigh
blushing, fearful, hopeful, shy
a racing heart, and oh my
brushing lips trembling on skin
breath exhaled, a hopeful grin
barely daring a heart to win
and the only question is when
watching others smile and laugh
being another's better half
feeling that I'm only a gaffe
oh to live for another's behalf
a soft glance, a sparkling eye
barely a touch, a brush, a sigh
blushing, fearful, hopeful, shy
a racing heart, and oh my
brushing lips trembling on skin
breath exhaled, a hopeful grin
barely daring a heart to win
and the only question is when
watching others smile and laugh
being another's better half
feeling that I'm only a gaffe
oh to live for another's behalf
a soft glance, a sparkling eye
barely a touch, a brush, a sigh
blushing, fearful, hopeful, shy
a racing heart, and oh my
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Easter
I had one of those 'don't want to get out of bed' mornings this morning. I should have wanted to go to church. Its Easter! Kids hunting for eggs and fellowship with fellow Christians. But this morning I had to dragged myself out of bed in order to get to church on time. I'm glad I went of course. I have found over the years that the days I least feel like going to church, are the days that I really need to go.
I still feel like I'm hovering slightly out of sync with the world at the moment. I think the main cause for this is that I am still processing several things that have happened this past week. I found out Wednesday that I will be starting a job on the 11th. Friday I went to my first ever Passover Seder at one of my roommates parents. Saturday I delivered meals to the needy in Philly. I'm excited, nervous, scared, and hopeful about the job. I still feel very impacted by the Passover Seder and really wished I could read Hebrew. And I can't seem to get the look of one women we gave a meal to yesterday. Nor the realization of how little impact/knowledge I have of the poor and needy in Philly.
There is too much in my head this year. I came to church this morning, not sure what to pray about nor how to put everything running around my head in order. I was a mixture of joy, blessing, questions, hopes, dreams, fears, despair, and dejection. I feel like I just can't do enough, but that I am also doing too much. I'm even to the point of not really knowing what to write.
So this Easter, as much as I have been looking forward to it. I also feel like somehow I was not ready for it. I feel like I have been blessed, but also that I have been give a kind of shock. And I have no idea how to balance the two.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
What Strange Blessing
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
We have reached again the time of year which often gives me pause. Easter.
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
The lead up to Easter is so different from the lead up to Christmas. In terms of social views, Christmas is a time of spending a tone of money and advertising starts right after Halloween (or even before). Easter, although plagued also by ads, is very different from Christmas. It is very easy for society to remember Christmas with ease, what is nicer then a baby in a stable, angels, and peace on earth. Even with the politics dictating the need of a Holiday tree, as if that some how makes it more acceptable, the general public has no real problem with the idea of Christmas or the 'holiday season' in general. Although, to go on a small tangent, if we start having Holiday trees, I think they should be put up for every single holiday, just to make it even. For a Holiday tree must be in general for all holidays, right? But I digress...
Were you there when they pierced him in the side?
However easy some find the truth behind the Christmas holiday, few have liked the idea of Easter. I think this is why it has become all about candy and egg hunts and celebrating the good things. Easter is, in reality, a strangely joyfully dark holiday. Palm branches have given way to whips and thorns. The slaughter of the passover lamb is in-acted on the body of God himself. The lead up to Easter is dark. There is slander, betrayal, torture, and death. The only other holiday that I know of to have this dark for story is that of the passover, which is really the practice, or place holder for the later real act. The blood is smeared on the doorways of our souls, so that death will be sent packing.
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
The Thursday and Friday before Easter, are for me, a kind of catharsis. Once a year, I spend a good amount of time thinking about and praying about how fallen I am. I think a great deal on the sin of my life and the sin of the world. I feel heavily the burden that this places on my soul. I am reminded of how I called out among the many for his death, that I betrayed, convicted, beat, whipped, scorned, and crucified the man who came to save me. That I do not deserve the life that I am give, nor the blessings that I have so often forgotten. Who am I, what have I done, to deserve the pardon so painfully bought?
Were you there when God Raised Him from the Dead?
It is only after I mourn my own awful state that I can rejoice Sunday with "He has Risen". I know that joy is coming. That in three days, everything will change. And it is a Strange (although wonderful) Blessing. But for now I feel the denial that to often plagues my lips and the sorrow of my own willfully, fallen ways.
Oh sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
We have reached again the time of year which often gives me pause. Easter.
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
The lead up to Easter is so different from the lead up to Christmas. In terms of social views, Christmas is a time of spending a tone of money and advertising starts right after Halloween (or even before). Easter, although plagued also by ads, is very different from Christmas. It is very easy for society to remember Christmas with ease, what is nicer then a baby in a stable, angels, and peace on earth. Even with the politics dictating the need of a Holiday tree, as if that some how makes it more acceptable, the general public has no real problem with the idea of Christmas or the 'holiday season' in general. Although, to go on a small tangent, if we start having Holiday trees, I think they should be put up for every single holiday, just to make it even. For a Holiday tree must be in general for all holidays, right? But I digress...
Were you there when they pierced him in the side?
However easy some find the truth behind the Christmas holiday, few have liked the idea of Easter. I think this is why it has become all about candy and egg hunts and celebrating the good things. Easter is, in reality, a strangely joyfully dark holiday. Palm branches have given way to whips and thorns. The slaughter of the passover lamb is in-acted on the body of God himself. The lead up to Easter is dark. There is slander, betrayal, torture, and death. The only other holiday that I know of to have this dark for story is that of the passover, which is really the practice, or place holder for the later real act. The blood is smeared on the doorways of our souls, so that death will be sent packing.
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
The Thursday and Friday before Easter, are for me, a kind of catharsis. Once a year, I spend a good amount of time thinking about and praying about how fallen I am. I think a great deal on the sin of my life and the sin of the world. I feel heavily the burden that this places on my soul. I am reminded of how I called out among the many for his death, that I betrayed, convicted, beat, whipped, scorned, and crucified the man who came to save me. That I do not deserve the life that I am give, nor the blessings that I have so often forgotten. Who am I, what have I done, to deserve the pardon so painfully bought?
Were you there when God Raised Him from the Dead?
It is only after I mourn my own awful state that I can rejoice Sunday with "He has Risen". I know that joy is coming. That in three days, everything will change. And it is a Strange (although wonderful) Blessing. But for now I feel the denial that to often plagues my lips and the sorrow of my own willfully, fallen ways.
Oh sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Fillings
I'm not sure how many of you have had Novocain in your mouths. Today, after the finding of my first cavities, I had my first fillings. And of course with any drilling which must take place in the mouth, the numbness of the nerves is paramount. I do not mind dentist and although not always comfortable with someone sticking their fingers into my mouth, I hold no resentment. I have had Novocain before, although not in my mouth, when I was much younger. I realize its importance and have experienced the weird sensations it can cause. So, although not exactly looking forward to my visit, I was not afraid or horrified by what I knew was going to happen. The knowledge that I was about to have my teeth cleaned and taken care of, well out weighed any loss of comfort.
However, I was not ready for the weird sensations and crazy feelings that the numbness would cause. After using some numbing jell, the dentist took a needle and injected first on one side and then the other. Seeing as I had two cavities, one in one wisdom tooth and one in the other, it was necessary to numb the whole bottom of my jaw. The first injection was alright, the first jab was felt as a prick, and little more. With the second injection the dentist unfortunately directly hit a nerve. There was a jab of pain and a weird cool branching feeling of the numbing. This numbness travelled around my bottom jaw, till my lower lip felt little more then a gelatinous mass.
Although I knew that my lower lip was well connected to my face, it felt (still feels at the moment) like a foreign intrusion. The nerves on my fingers feel my skin, but as my chin can not feel my finger, the disconnect is unsettling. Its almost like touching a very bad bruise or bread pudding that has gone bad. There is tension inherit in the skin, but it is relaxed and yielding to pressure, so that the texture seems weirdly foreign. I am reminded very quickly of the last time I had Novocain. At that time I was much younger, and it was my feet that felt foreign. The need of the numbness had be extreem, as I had run barefoot across and unfinished wooden deck. The splinters that found there way into my young feet had to be removed by the doctor. Some of the them were longer then my foot was thick, or at least that is how I remember it. And of course afterward, while waiting for the numbness to wear off, I had stumbled on feet, that I knew were there, but could not feel.
Of course I was much too young to really remember the feeling. Also the pain of the wounds and the unhappiness of the occasion made me less curious. Now, however, I am struck by the weirdness of the feeling. While I was sitting on the bus, I felt that everyone around me must think me as looking weird. Although I knew, after inspection in the bathroom before leaving the dentist's office, that I looked as normal as I ever have. Still the strange feeling that my chin, jaw, lip, and tongue could relate, left me feeling like some strange half faced monster as I rode the bus.
Talking is another matter. It is amazing how much trouble the letter 'f' gives a person when they have little control over their lower mouth. I found that I needed to spend extra attention on how to say something. While settling my bill at the dentist, I was amazed at how badly I was talking. It was annoying! I'm sure that they are used to people coming out with badly numbed faces trying to talk. But trying to talk with the use of only half of your mouth is a strange challenge. Add to this the fact that my lip feels about three times larger then it is and my tongue is weirdly half there.
Of course, as I rode home and even as I write now, the numbness is slowly ebbing away. It is replaced by the strange tingle of my nerves finding themselves slowly awakening. I feel slight tingles as they out and fight the cool strangeness that the injection induced. It reminds me of when my legs fall asleep on me and I must rudely wake them. Luckily the dentist assured me that the numbness would wear off in a short time. Which is good, because I have a Maundy Thursday service tonight. It would be hard to concentrate on anything if the whole lower half of my face was still gelatinous and foreign to the very person its attached to.
Anyone else have a dentist or Novocain related experience? Feel free to share...
However, I was not ready for the weird sensations and crazy feelings that the numbness would cause. After using some numbing jell, the dentist took a needle and injected first on one side and then the other. Seeing as I had two cavities, one in one wisdom tooth and one in the other, it was necessary to numb the whole bottom of my jaw. The first injection was alright, the first jab was felt as a prick, and little more. With the second injection the dentist unfortunately directly hit a nerve. There was a jab of pain and a weird cool branching feeling of the numbing. This numbness travelled around my bottom jaw, till my lower lip felt little more then a gelatinous mass.
Although I knew that my lower lip was well connected to my face, it felt (still feels at the moment) like a foreign intrusion. The nerves on my fingers feel my skin, but as my chin can not feel my finger, the disconnect is unsettling. Its almost like touching a very bad bruise or bread pudding that has gone bad. There is tension inherit in the skin, but it is relaxed and yielding to pressure, so that the texture seems weirdly foreign. I am reminded very quickly of the last time I had Novocain. At that time I was much younger, and it was my feet that felt foreign. The need of the numbness had be extreem, as I had run barefoot across and unfinished wooden deck. The splinters that found there way into my young feet had to be removed by the doctor. Some of the them were longer then my foot was thick, or at least that is how I remember it. And of course afterward, while waiting for the numbness to wear off, I had stumbled on feet, that I knew were there, but could not feel.
Of course I was much too young to really remember the feeling. Also the pain of the wounds and the unhappiness of the occasion made me less curious. Now, however, I am struck by the weirdness of the feeling. While I was sitting on the bus, I felt that everyone around me must think me as looking weird. Although I knew, after inspection in the bathroom before leaving the dentist's office, that I looked as normal as I ever have. Still the strange feeling that my chin, jaw, lip, and tongue could relate, left me feeling like some strange half faced monster as I rode the bus.
Talking is another matter. It is amazing how much trouble the letter 'f' gives a person when they have little control over their lower mouth. I found that I needed to spend extra attention on how to say something. While settling my bill at the dentist, I was amazed at how badly I was talking. It was annoying! I'm sure that they are used to people coming out with badly numbed faces trying to talk. But trying to talk with the use of only half of your mouth is a strange challenge. Add to this the fact that my lip feels about three times larger then it is and my tongue is weirdly half there.
Of course, as I rode home and even as I write now, the numbness is slowly ebbing away. It is replaced by the strange tingle of my nerves finding themselves slowly awakening. I feel slight tingles as they out and fight the cool strangeness that the injection induced. It reminds me of when my legs fall asleep on me and I must rudely wake them. Luckily the dentist assured me that the numbness would wear off in a short time. Which is good, because I have a Maundy Thursday service tonight. It would be hard to concentrate on anything if the whole lower half of my face was still gelatinous and foreign to the very person its attached to.
Anyone else have a dentist or Novocain related experience? Feel free to share...
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Random Meetings
Today ended up being busier then I expected. I had an interview (which went well) and helped pack paper bags with food stuff for the Easter Ministry (1200 meals to needy Philly families, plus 2 wells in Sudan). Yet the best part of the day was the totally random, unplanned part. After my interview I talked with my sister. We were discussing Ben and Jerry's free ice cream day. My plan was to get off a stop early, at 40th street and walk down to the B&J's to get a free cone. Then I would walk home to get out of my suit jacket and get ready for organized mayhem (packing food into bags).
I was off the El, and walking down 40th when, totally randomly, a guy calls out my name. It ended up being a past co-worker and college friend. We had worked together at Sandy Cove as life guards and then ended up at the same college. It was totally unexpected and really nice. We talked about what we were up to: my interview and the fact that he was canvassing for a Children's Not-for-profit. We got onto what we wanted to be doing: Finishing my Novel and He being a DJ.
So it ended up that I met a friend and talked instead of having Ice Cream. Sure it was not what I had planned. Yes I missed out on some rather good and free ice cream. Still I can get ice cream any time I want (although most likely not free) and randomly meeting friends on the side of the road is, well, random. And random meetings are the best kind.
I was off the El, and walking down 40th when, totally randomly, a guy calls out my name. It ended up being a past co-worker and college friend. We had worked together at Sandy Cove as life guards and then ended up at the same college. It was totally unexpected and really nice. We talked about what we were up to: my interview and the fact that he was canvassing for a Children's Not-for-profit. We got onto what we wanted to be doing: Finishing my Novel and He being a DJ.
So it ended up that I met a friend and talked instead of having Ice Cream. Sure it was not what I had planned. Yes I missed out on some rather good and free ice cream. Still I can get ice cream any time I want (although most likely not free) and randomly meeting friends on the side of the road is, well, random. And random meetings are the best kind.
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