pasture dance hall

07/24/2023 0 By BuddyCushman

I watched a documentary a couple of weeks ago – “Food, Inc.” – which I had seen before, but apparently not with these eyes. The degree of cruelty to animals crawled up inside my heart, the way the Buddhist nun Pema Chodron says “bodhichitta” will, and within a couple of hours I pretty much made a vow to myself to change the way I eat.

I did not decide to become a vegetarian. My Sweetie is a vegetarian and I have wild admiration for the way she honors and takes care of herself, including what and how she eats. That’s simply beyond my zip code. What I decided was to end eating any meat not humanely raised – grass-fed, pasture-and-barnyard-roaming, no chemicals ever, enough space for dancing – for the rest of my time on the planet. And, wherever possible, eat organics – veggies, yogurt, eggs, cheese, and meat. So far I’m getting there. Shopping, the where’s and what’s, already way different.

Everything costs more, and as I’ve during the same couple of weeks made changes skyrocketing the cost of my living – for which I am grateful far beyond written and spoken language – it’s just another invite. The world says, “Come along with us, Kid, you’ll figure it out.” And I will. Fetchable me.

Thinking in terms of my own self behaving a smidge more ethically feels right. Not a single opinion here about anyone else’s choices. The way I want to live, and can live with a bit more focus and intention, right now. Maybe I’ll get to say I am what I eat. And dance that mess around.