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| Sometimes, we intentionally take bad shots. |
But, as he often does, my son has made me rethink this. The other day, we were driving down the road listening to Tom read a post about moms not being able to "have it all". It was a wonderful article and the start of many great articles on this subject (I hope!). It had to do with that controversial subject of women's equality. As Tom read, I kept interrupting him and saying things like, "I am so glad she wasn't afraid to say that" or "I feel that way every day!" and "Well, now she's just being stupid because that takes rights away from men! Are men supposed to surrender their rights so women can do whatever they want?" This is a hot topic at our house, so we had lots of comments. You see, I'm not a stay-at-home mom...but I was. And, my husband doesn't work outside of the home...but he did. When Tom got sick, we reluctantly traded our chosen roles and got a startling front-row view of what the other lived every day. And it hurt. So, we're pretty passionate about this subject.
But, when the article ended and everyone had spoken their mind, my thoughtful and often misunderstood son spoke up and said, "You know, the problem with adults is that they aren't willing to have arguments anymore. There's just too much compromise in this world." It struck a cord. Are we not allowed to believe in anything anymore? Must we gag ourselves, lest we offend someone with a differing view? If everyone does this and no one ever speaks up, I think life becomes pretty bland and unsatisfying. We need to have convictions, beliefs and when necessary, thoughtful arguments. So, I agree with him and it made me feel a little pathetic, quite frankly.
So- I'm going to take a moment and share my views on the world as I know it...in my country...in my state...in my city...in my neighborhood...on my block...and in my house.
First, I believe in creation. If you don't, I don't say this to hurt you or offend you or say that you are stupid. I just believe that science tells me that this world is far too complicated to have happened by chance. I believe in intelligent design. And- yes, if I'm terribly honest, I puzzle about anyone that can look at the intricate workings of the human brain and think any differently. Just being honest here.
I believe that seeds were created so we could produce food to eat. I have always been amazed at seeds. Every seed is a miracle to me. I believe that we should be good stewards of this earth. I believe in sustainable living. I believe in fair trade. I believe that whenever possible, we should eat locally. It's better for the environment and healthier for our bodies. I believe that animals, even animals raised to be eaten, should be treated well. I believe cows shouldn't get shots to make their utters grow so large that they can't stand up (You might think I made this up, but I didn't. I'll give you the address of the farm.) I believe that chickens shouldn't be crammed into dirty barns never to see the light of day.
I believe that industrialization was the downfall of America. I am embarrassed that much of American culture is still controlled by the desire for financial gain and power. I believe that our food, our water and our air has been compromised by the industrialization of the farm. I believe Monsanto is merely the continuation of the "progress" our country was so proud of. I don't hate many things, but I definitely HATE that.
I believe that pride, arrogance, and selfishness have seriously damaged many beautiful things in this world. I'm a musician. Music, in my mind, is something to be enjoyed by all. People of varying skill and talent can participate and have fun. I remember nights spent in my living room as a child. Everyone joined in. If you couldn't play something, you sang. If you sang horribly, you sang anyway. And, if the pastor wasn't over, we would even dance. I grew up, and was offered a record deal and I saw first hand that pride, arrogance and selfishness had tainted the music industry (yes, even the Christian Music industry). I declined the record deal. I wanted to believe it was an isolated company and went to a prestigious music school. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Everyone loved music and enjoyed making music and it felt as though every class was taking place in my childhood living room. Then I moved to "Music City" and began working in the "industry". There, I decided that the industrialization of music destroyed music. In fact, you don't even have to know anything about music to make a record. Just speak into a mic and someone will alter your voice enough to make you a star...well...a boob job might not hurt your career either.
I believe that life has become too busy and expectations are too high. I believe that our citizens work too much. There's no time for community. And, without community, you're isolated. When you're isolated, it isn't long before you need a prescription to boost your mental health. I think that's sad and not at all close to the original plan.
I think we compare ourselves to others too much. I think parents are afraid that not letting their child be in a particular extracurricular activity will destroy their child's chances of getting into a good college. But, in my heart, I believe those things aren't nearly as important as we make them out to be.
I believe that we are too busy to eat healthy. We don't have time to prepare meals from actual food, so we buy partially made imitation foods and combine them in various ways so we feel as though we've prepared something homemade. But, that's an illusion. I believe that because of the industrialization of the farm it is increasingly difficult to find healthy food. GMO this, neurotoxin that, high fructose mercury syrup... is in the vast majority of the foods in our grocery stores. And, don't forget that because we have to pay for our kids to be in all of the activities that run us ragged, feel entitled to expensive spring break trips/summer vacations, and because we have to keep up with the latest fashion trends, we think we can't afford to eat organic, non-GMO foods. Then we demand inexpensive insurance for when our bodies fail us. And, we are angry when we find out that the government's health plan takes choices away from physicians and patients, so we can't guarantee we'll get the health care that some have so eagerly anticipated.
I believe America is broken. I don't talk about this as often as I'd like. But, I promise you that I cry about this pretty regularly. But- you probably don't know this because I'm too busy to talk to you and you're too busy to talk to me. We don't have time to really bare our souls to each other, so when we meet, we'll stick to asking things like, "So- how does your child like their extracurricular activities?" or "So- how was the beach?" or "How is your father's chemo treatments going?" because everything that I've vented about above has led to this shocking statistic: "One in two men will get cancer. One in three women will get cancer." It's becoming the norm to see hairless, yellowed, numb, weak loved ones limping around. I know. I watched my best friend die from cancer. My own mother is on her second round of cancer.
I'm ready to be dubbed a "freak". A little over a year ago, my family made the decision to sell our home, buy an RV and start living a simpler life. It sounded like heaven. And perhaps we should have worked harder to make it happen. But- our house didn't sell, my resignation didn't work (long story) and we're still keeping the American routine for the most part. So, I'm taking a good hard look at life and am trying to see ways that I can change how my family lives and interacts with others. I'll respectfully and thoughtfully keep you in the loop and not worry so much about who I'll offend. My son was right.
