The Earthy Mind

Being that about 72% of the earth is covered in water, maybe the idea that something is "earthy" should include that element.

Aboard Uncas

Traditionally, while voyaging upon the ocean, the sailor will be sailing 2 boats at once.  The first is the one that rest between him and the deep blue sea.  This is the "real" or tangible, yet frail, vessel that literally supports him.

The second, is a 2 dimensional boat that exists on a chart, or in his mind.  This is the intellectual understanding of where, and when, he exists in the world.  This boat can also be understood to be fixed, and the understanding is more about where and when the world exists around it.  Included in the identity of this little ship, or big ship, or simple raft, is the understanding of it's state of existence.  For instance, "this ship is 27' long it has full sail up and the wind is force 3, the hull is sound and without leaks or other known weakness, the tanks have water and the lockers are full of oatmeal cookies."

These two boats exist at once and are often thought of as one.  To sail successfully and comfortably it might be required that they are though of as the same.

And so it goes with me on my journey.  It was an important realization that the imagined division between my intellectual self and my physical self really was not very satisfying or helpful.  I have come to see that the division between physical and spiritual and intellectual is a limitation, and maybe even a destructive misconception.  I found this to be especially so when it pertained to action.  You must have heard the saying "Walk the Talk",  I think more so I needed to  "Walk the Thought".

I suppose the reasonable path I am on has allot to do with joining together of my "charted course" with the one that surrounds me.  One of the important things to think about when setting out on an ocean voyage is provisioning, sustenance, or food and water.  With out these the trip will not be good or lasting, or it might end up being the last.  So it goes with the rest of my life.  This seems to have been the beginning of my path, getting my supplies in order, my food and where it comes from, how it is attained.  This has become it's own path or at least I find it much more satisfying to give it a very great importance, because, it is of great importance.  Thus, began the steps to growing my own food.

2010 garden patch

People have asked me why I choose to be a vegetarian, "Is it an ethical choice or a health choice?"  In truth it is both, and more.  It is economic and political.  It is pleasurable and educational.  I am sure there are even more reasons, including a rebellious and subversive quality to it.

It is not convenient being a vegetarian in this country.  Right now, it is the energy corporations and the insurance corporations and the pharmaceuticals who have the sway and who are making the big dollars.  Once when the American cowboy was becoming a formative part of our identity in this country, it was the cattle industry.  That influence has never really left.   It is still the driving force in how we in this country seem to define a meal.  "meat makes the meal!"

During one weekend, after reading the book "Diet for a New America" by John Robbins, and seeing a movie about a corporations doing drug experiments on poor African people, and one other book or movie, that I can't quite remember now I am sad to say, I just made a decision to change the way I ate.

There was a health influence.  There was a political influence.  There was also an ethical influence.  Only later did I realize that all these influence really were absolutely connected and even stronger when seen as such.

It is a similar situation with my decision to try to grow as much of my own food as possible, and to use as much of my lawn and property to do it.  This choice cannot be reduced to one simple answer, but it can be expanded to many good reasons.

Today we turned the green manure (peas, vetch, alfalfa) into the soil and mixed in some compost from the local municipal facility in order to build a healthier soil.  That will sit for a few weeks before planting the crop for the season.  It is a little late but it seems that everything on our property happens a few weeks later than the rest of the region.  We live in the woods and have tall trees that limit our sun.  We have to adapt our growing patterns to what this property can support.  It is different from properties a mile away.  Eat local, grow local.