Entry #7 Funky Fresh

   

      Life seems to work in cycles, as one part dies another is reborn. The balance of all living things on this planet depend on this circle of cause and effect. As far as we know this is the only planet we have, so the necessity to protect it is more prevalent than ever to maintain this balance. In our current state we are on the cusp of an ecological downfall, due to a lack of awareness  and activity towards preserving what we have. There are many resources on what we can do to help. One of them is a fantastic film called Fresh.
      Fresh shares the value of maintaining the balance of life, especially through organic farming. This film not only touches the lives of fellow farmers, but to all of mankind. While in the midst of viewing it, I began to feel very emotional. Hopelessness came over me as thoughts of  how over produced and consumed we are in this becoming material world. The reality that this has been so embedded in our way of being, makes the challenge of restoring a stronger balance in nature seem nearly impossible.
       Although I already understood the weight of the situation and currently try my best to live as consciously as possible, there has to be more that I can do. An important lesson I have learned in life is that I can't change people. They have to make the decision themselves. But what will it take for people to open their eyes? I drove home that night feeling taunted by all of the littler strung along the sides of the roads, most of which I noticed were bags, cups, empty big fry containers, all from an assortment of fast food businesses. Will it take a huge reality check for people? Like the kind you experience when a close friend passes? to help you realize how short life really is. And if so, when we get to that point, will we have dug ourselves too deep of a hole in our own waste to dig ourselves out? Education and awareness are our strongest tools in order to take the first steps to preserving out planet. I believe many people blindly follow these consumerist trends out of mostly, convenience and also the fact of acting unaware of the depth of the decisions they make.
       As Joel Salatin, an organic farmer from Fresh states, "Part of our responsibility as stewards of the earth is to respect the design of nature. " There is always a give and take, Ask yourself how much do you take? Within all of your actions through out the day, and what are you giving back in return?

 

The one and only,  Elton John... Also accompanied by a cute lion 

Here is a fabulous video about the great "Circle of life" to send a jolt of nostalgia through your bones.