I see today as one of those days that I have changed my way of thinking about the world. This morning I watched the movie Food INC., as part of my action project around food consumerism. It opened my eyes to what we pump into our bodies 3 times a day. It actually made me disgusted, and made me not want to eat ever again. It definetly hit home for me as my family use to be dairy farmers and now we are just beef farmers. I found myself comparing our style of farming to the ones that were displayed in the movie that worked for the production companies. I would not be able to live with myself if my family treated our animals as badly as they were. It makes me sick thinking about all the chemicals and toxins that we eat at every meal. It hurts thinking about all the people who have gotten sick or have even died because of all the diseases that form in our meat during production. It makes me upset to think that these companies can get away with it because they are so powerful. This movie has made me re-think the way I have been living, and I want to help be the change in food consumerism.
This afternoon I took some time to be still and process what I had just witnessed. I actually never did this activity the other day, as I wanted to do it in a place that is very special to me. I have waited, and I am doing it at my family farm away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It is hard to be still and find somewhere quiet in the city as there is always something going on and it is never truly quiet. Instead I am in the environment that has shaped who I am and has provided me with many of my memories. As I sit here and listen to the pond drip water outside my front door, and watch the bugs and plants move around me and when I look up I see nothing but open space for miles with uncombined fields it helps me try and grasp what I have witnessed today. It is hard sitting here (in my perfect world) thinking that this and other environmental issues are going on and effecting us. I wish I could stay in this place where it seems like nothing bad can happen. In reality I know when I leave this place I will re-enter the fast paced society that we live in and all these issues will arise again. It is hard to think that I am only one person and that these issues are way out of my reach to fix completely. That doesn’t mean that I won’t try to change my habits to make a little difference and educate other to hopefully make a bigger difference.