Holy Health-Nut Rant, Batman! aka Thankfulness

So, the kiddo turned 2. Wow. Amazing. I've been very heart-y about it. Not in a bad way, just really loving and appreciating that girl. :) She had an amazing birthday--2 hours at the park with her buds, a party with the fam, a kitchen set, a bike!, a tutu (that she adores), and many other toys and a boatload of clothes (her grandparents spoil her rotten). We are blessed.

So, cutest thing ever: While listening and dancing to Tiny Dancer, A turns to me when Elton says, "ballerina" and points to her chest and says, "me" with the sweetest little smile and brightest eyes and her little head nodding. :)

So, I was kinda dragging my feet with the whole sterilization thing. You have to make it sound as bad as possible and call it sterilization. Tubal, Essure, tubes tied--these are all too innocent and nice sounding. Anyway, I was dragging my feet. It's a hard decision. I wish I didn't have to make it. But I've made up my mind. I know it sounded like I made up my mind before. But I guess I hadn't totally. But I have now. My lovie-butt is doing bad. B-A-D bad. I can't put him through all that again. Don't get me wrong--the kid is awesome, but physically kids are not something S can swing. He loves 'em, but you can only do what you can do. And I'm the luckiest girl in the world to have my little A. And my S.

So, I've switched to liquid Castile soap for pretty much everything except laundry detergent and I know there's a cheap/Dugger way to make that stuff. I'm trying to simplify life as much as possible. Live as cheaply and as easily as possible. Buy as much premade stuff as possible while keeping certain standards and not going broke.

And I was thinking. Thinking about all this homemade, old-school, non-GMO shit we've all swallowed and wondering if it's all just a crazy fad. Like, what if pesticides don't hurt you? What if it's better that starving Chinese people have a hearty rice crop that doesn't die with drought or from infestation? What if science is good? What if the modern science is a conspiracy premise is a conspiracy? Hmmmmm? We know it's not true that organic foods have more vitamins and minerals than their pesticide-filled (tongue is firmly in cheek) counterparts. Though organic proponents say otherwise (lie about it). Also, borax is a pesticide. A dangerous one--can hurt you if you ingest it. And having it in your house raises your exposure to pesticides about as much as eating non-organic food. All things become poison in too great a quantity--food even. Even pure, organic, whole foods. Too much fruit and your GI goes poop crazy. Too much protein and your body chemistry is thrown out of whack. There is this idea that older is better. But is it? Is it just different? Is it better that women and children died all the time because there were no hospitals and medications to stop bleeding, detect fetal distress? Better that you had to make all your food from scratch, spend all your life working to survive. We work to survive now, well, half of us do (bitterness?). But not in the same way. Our concerns are far fewer. We work and then our work comes to an end. We don't have to physically slave all day from sun up to sun down. We have time to play with our children to rest in our loved ones arms. And we are a rich and lush country--in Africa they slave to survive, not us. Most people don't have the luxury of being so fussy about their food and what they will and will not put into their bodies.

And plastic. Plastic is wonderful. It is not evil. How is it worse than glass or metal? None break down in a landfill, all take energy to make, all pollute. If anything, our biggest sin is excess. We can skirt around the issue and blame refined flours and GMOs and plastic and vaccines, but it is our consumption that is disgusting. And the fact of the matter is that America is still a pretty great place. Because people come to our hospitals and doctors (for our science) from around the world when their children and parents are sick. And we have a great life expectancy. And any Ugandan would spit on us to see our pooh-poohing of perfectly good and nutritious food. And we don't have slave-labor or reject anyone the medical care they need. I read an article a long time ago in National Geographic about societies who live a long time (And that's another thing, why the f are we so concerned with our diet and health? If you're not 400 pounds and smoking crack, you're probably doing pretty well for yourself. What is the point? We all get old, we all die of something. And don't say quality of life because I work in a hospital and there are "healthy" sick people and "sick" sick people and healthy people aren't excessive and entitled and sick people generally are, but everyone still eats at McDonald's once in a while. So what's the point? Do you really want to live to be 100? Is that the greatest accomplishment you can’t think of?). Anyway, in this article, when an old lady was asked how to live a long and happy life, she answered, "Be thankful." And there was a picture of her and she was holding her husband's hand and was smiling and there was happiness in her face. And I don't say any of this to judge. I'm saying this to myself. Because I waste my life thinking about things that don't matter. And miss looking into my daughter's eyes and dancing with her and holding Simon's hand because I think somehow it's better for us that we eat no process food, and all the planning and thinking and work that goes into it wastes my life which technically isn't mine to begin with.

And then there is this gluttonous consumption of stuff. Which I will address next time. Because I'm sure I've lost everyone by now. :)

So that's the scoop. How amazing would it be to get as much joy from a Wonder Bread P.B. & J. as from a free-range roast and organic vegetables and hot, home-made, whole grain, sourdough bread with fresh butter? How it could set your mind free. Thankfulness.

*Note: These rants are for and to myself and not meant to condemn anyone.