What do we, as citizens of the greatest nation on earth, see ourselves in need of? Minimally it's what I have seen called "first world problems." Maximally, we have many people - citizens of our great nation - in need of just the basic necessities. I find myself thinking on these needs, especially in the winter months where life is that much more difficult and dangerous.
Most recently I've been in communication with my first cousin who I love dearly. She has established herself well in life. She's smart, wealthy (as it would seem to most people), and educated. She has recently decided to raise rabbits for meat. This disturbs me... deeply. I find myself in the midst of questioning why... knowing she had been a vegetarian for 8 years before this. I asked... she answered. It's something we are deciding to "agree to disagree" on. I don't see a need. Especially because we live in this great nation, and she has access to whatever she may want or need. Reverting back from vegetarianism has disturbed me, mostly because she was the only person in my family who had made that decision for herself. Now, she fishes... hunts with guns... and raises rabbits for meat. I'm not pleased and have found myself angry in the midst of that. But, I have to take a step back from it, realizing I'm in a minority in my beliefs. I've reached out... we don't see things the same way.
What do we need? What is it that our bodies require in this existence? We have a very privileged reality in this country. I realize that. I see the world issues... I pray for the world and its people and animals. Every. Single. Day. What I realize is that meat, and killing animals for fashion, sustenance, and everyday "necessities" is ridiculous. It always has been. We live by our taste buds... not our needs. That's why our nation is as obese as it is. That's the heart disease issue. That's the thing that could change every single person and their health. It's valid... and I see that now.
We are selfish... glutinous, greedy. We have become a nation of lazy ignorant people. We don't need to kill things in order to be healthy. We don't! It's fact. I hate that most of our nation still doesn't realize this...
What do we need... we need to be more evolved in our thinking. We need to see every creature that God has placed on this earth as what He initially intended. To benefit us in our daily lives, not by killing them, but by appreciating the beauty and creative love the Lord has provided us. We don't look at desert wastelands unless we choose it. We don't find ourselves in the midst of a gray, uninteresting existence because He provides us with the realities of beauty in this world. Why is the cardinal red? What could it possibly help that bird to be, aside from a beautiful creation? It can't hide it from predators... it is simply a beautiful reality that we have the privilege to see. Yes, some animals cannot see color, but there are many animals and birds in the world who have been blessed with beautiful colors that would not be able to hide themselves from predators.
Meanwhile, I struggle with my choices... my family's choices... the things I see and cannot affect. What we need is a far cry from what we consume. We are a nation of indulgences. We are a people who are used to luxury in the things we consume. I have found myself hating that reality... and trying to avoid it. It makes me feel better about what I am in this life when I move away from killing and harming animals for my own selfish gain.
Friday, February 19, 2016
Thursday, February 4, 2016
The Reason I'm Off Facebook
I realize most of my friends don't realize I'm off Facebook for the last 2 weeks, and this won't be published there, so it's a matter of people seeking my blog out, which is rare.
The reason I stepped away from social media for the most part is basically because I've been bombarded (some of which I have allowed by the things/people I've followed) has become too much for my mental health to be "good." I haven't been well in this realm for a number of months, and the reality is, I can't handle the things I'm passionate about. The animal rights groups and animal advocates - the petitions and posts about animal abuse... it's just more than I can bear as a broken individual.
I know I am in charge of what I see and hear about. I realize that what I am passionate about is ugly and hard to watch/see. It has become more of a burden on my psyche to see it on an hourly basis, and I stepped away because of my mental instability.
Very few people have noticed and reached out in other ways to ask how I am, what I'm doing, and why I stepped away. I realize that I'm just a small grain of sand in the workings of all of my friends and family's lives. It's okay... if nothing else it has allowed me a bit of peace and solitude that I don't often get. I can't say I'm bombarded by friends in any way... but I've felt a distance from the ugly that plagues the internet every day.
I miss sharing my feelings, and sharing my artwork on a daily basis. I miss getting the accolades I'm used to. Ben mentioned to me that he thought I broke away was because I wanted to see the people clamor for my presence, and reach out to me to see why I was missing in their lives. It's a reality that most of who I know haven't noticed. I'm not mad... maybe slightly disappointed. Who doesn't love attention? It's not who I am to revel in other's approval... but it's a way for me to feel relevant.
Right now I'm working on things for my artwork that don't require any outside intervention. It's mine, and it flows from my internal need to be creative. That alone doesn't seem to be enough to drive me in any direction. I've always had a hard time focusing on what I need for my own health, and what I do to gain that health. I'm broken, from the mind down. I've always had trouble caring about myself, and my physical and mental well being. The doctor recently indicated that, because of my familial tendencies, it isn't a matter of IF I'll become a diabetic, it's WHEN. That scares me. That, and I know in my mind that my heart isn't in the best shape. I sometimes fret over when my heart will tell me its had enough of my stupidity. You don't hear about people who have been vegetarian for 25 years as heart patients, but I believe mine is in route to becoming an issue.
Anyway... I have focused on my own health recently, and stopped focusing on the ugly and foolish parts of Facebook. I have a number of people on there who spew ugly - political garbage... animal abuse... you name it. I don't have enough positive from others. There are only one or two people in my life who are positive enough for me to glean from them a better perspective about life. Sad.
Don't cry for me Argentina. I'll be around. If you can't find me, send me a message here and I'll give you my phone number for texting or calls. Find good in the things you pay attention to.
The reason I stepped away from social media for the most part is basically because I've been bombarded (some of which I have allowed by the things/people I've followed) has become too much for my mental health to be "good." I haven't been well in this realm for a number of months, and the reality is, I can't handle the things I'm passionate about. The animal rights groups and animal advocates - the petitions and posts about animal abuse... it's just more than I can bear as a broken individual.
I know I am in charge of what I see and hear about. I realize that what I am passionate about is ugly and hard to watch/see. It has become more of a burden on my psyche to see it on an hourly basis, and I stepped away because of my mental instability.
Very few people have noticed and reached out in other ways to ask how I am, what I'm doing, and why I stepped away. I realize that I'm just a small grain of sand in the workings of all of my friends and family's lives. It's okay... if nothing else it has allowed me a bit of peace and solitude that I don't often get. I can't say I'm bombarded by friends in any way... but I've felt a distance from the ugly that plagues the internet every day.
I miss sharing my feelings, and sharing my artwork on a daily basis. I miss getting the accolades I'm used to. Ben mentioned to me that he thought I broke away was because I wanted to see the people clamor for my presence, and reach out to me to see why I was missing in their lives. It's a reality that most of who I know haven't noticed. I'm not mad... maybe slightly disappointed. Who doesn't love attention? It's not who I am to revel in other's approval... but it's a way for me to feel relevant.
Right now I'm working on things for my artwork that don't require any outside intervention. It's mine, and it flows from my internal need to be creative. That alone doesn't seem to be enough to drive me in any direction. I've always had a hard time focusing on what I need for my own health, and what I do to gain that health. I'm broken, from the mind down. I've always had trouble caring about myself, and my physical and mental well being. The doctor recently indicated that, because of my familial tendencies, it isn't a matter of IF I'll become a diabetic, it's WHEN. That scares me. That, and I know in my mind that my heart isn't in the best shape. I sometimes fret over when my heart will tell me its had enough of my stupidity. You don't hear about people who have been vegetarian for 25 years as heart patients, but I believe mine is in route to becoming an issue.
Anyway... I have focused on my own health recently, and stopped focusing on the ugly and foolish parts of Facebook. I have a number of people on there who spew ugly - political garbage... animal abuse... you name it. I don't have enough positive from others. There are only one or two people in my life who are positive enough for me to glean from them a better perspective about life. Sad.
Don't cry for me Argentina. I'll be around. If you can't find me, send me a message here and I'll give you my phone number for texting or calls. Find good in the things you pay attention to.
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