Blog Action Day Post: Environment

A single post about the environment? Great. I signed up for this because it's something I care about, but the subject is too big for one post. Think about it, think about how many ways that word is batted about, and think about the many ways the "environment" affects you. Indoor, Outdoor, work, home, physical, emotional, the area all environments and they all interact and they all affect us in different ways.
The organizers of this worldwide event want us to talk about the "Environment" the outdoors, nature and it's relationship to us and ours to it, type of environment. OK, I am game. But still too many issues, and it's all falling apart, really. We're killing it and ourselves. Maybe because we're too far removed from it. Think about it. In my generation, in my living memory I could see sheep from the farm down the road from my front yard. I not only know what they looked like, but what they smelled like, sounded like, felt like. We petted and fed them and we knew when we had lamb for dinner it was likely from those same sheep. It was part of life and no one got too upset over it. We had bunnies and ducks and rabbits in the back yard, pets? sure, til we NEEDED to eat them. and Aunt Izzy hunts, so did most of the cousins, it was and remains a fact of life in my generation.
BUT in my nephew's generation where there were once sheep farms, there are now homes and I can't recall the last time I saw livestock in this town that was once so rural that *I* remember wooden sidewalks downtown ( and I am only 46 this month) and cows and sheep were common place, so were horses. With the loss of the local farms the character of the village has changed. There's more people for one, and folks don't care what they do to each other, it seems. We used to leave the doors open, always, even when we were on vacation - away. No one did anything. Because it was a "town" of less than 1,000 and we all not only knew each other - but watched out for each other. We picked produce on those local farms, Strawberries, apples, cherries, if they needed help with the harvest we all pitched in. Our "pay" was an all you can eat smorgsboard of fresh goodness while we worked, sore muscles and a good feeling. But our neighbors helped us just as we helped them that the environment we had. It stemmed and grew from the outside in...the land fostered us, nourished us both physically and in other ways. And we knew it. I knew where I could get the *best* and most plentiful wild berries and where the fox with the babies lived...we knew where 'possum was holed up and where the bears and deer ranged.
Now we tranquilize the bears and move them and a town near here has a "bait and shoot" program for deer. We've lost the connection to our environment and it's changed the character of the town. We don't care as much anymore...and we don't expect the neighbours to watch out for us or us for them anymore. I got yelled at last winter because I "trespassed" on a neighbours property. I had tried to tell him that his lights were on in his car. Apparently that's now a major sin. I'd hate to think what would happen in a "real" emergency.
Environment, Outside and in. They are connected in our minds and hearts.
And another thing...when we knew the farmer raising our food,,,,when we had gardens and helped harvest and care for both, the land and the animals were treated better, and tasted better and did less damage to people and place. And as kids we were less sick, less picky and less fat...we were safe in those communities that we helped build. We watched out for our neighbours and we watched out for by them. Environment. Community.
Community another word we hear little about these days...it's online community this and community of that, but our real communities, the ones we live in daily have ceased to be communities, they are ever more often groups of people who don't even know each other's names or who's kid belongs to whom. And that started with the loss of environment and connection to that environment.
We're destroying our environments with our way of "life" and we're destroying ourselves too. When we loose our Environment, our neighbourhood, our community, we loose ourselves.
Too bad we don't really see it.

" The Gobble -uns 'll git you ef you don't Watch OUT!"

It's a line from a very old poem. One they don't teach or really read very much any more, probably because it's Moralistic. But my grandma could recite it from memory, I used to love it as it kid. Her voice was so great for it. It's called "Little Orphan Annie" by James Whitcomb Riley and I heard some one read it last night as part of a magic lantern show at the albrightknox . It was a Fantastic show and I urge you to see it if at all possible. You can find out about it here .
It was fun and fascinating and a good time was had by all, even the littlest of the littles. In fact I think the little kids had more fun than the college aged kids. Moira giggled her way through the show, the little girl behind me was enthralled and the two littles down from me had looks of total awe on their faces.
Go and fast, it's something that everyone can participate in and enjoy.

The New Jersy 4

I have a hard time fathoming that it's illegal and prison worthy to depend your self from sexual threats and physical assault. But apparently it is.
There's discussions going on Here and here as well as on the Fierce! site, so I won't start another one here. I just wanted to add my voice to those that are outraged over this.
I'd bet it would have been different if they were straight and\or white. But seeing as tho they are women maybe not.

Got yourself into this, get yourself out

This is going to sound heartless, but my uncle is in a nursing home - at 65. Why? because he's a diabetic who refuses to follow his diet, take any kind of care of himself and weighs so much that his legs can't support him. He fell. Twice. in two days. Had to get the ambulance guys to get him up once and once Mom and I helped him up. Or rather we got a chair under him and I pushed back the chair so that he was up on it. All 500 lbs or so.
This man is demanding, abusive, and the most negative person I've ever run across. He is also one of the 4 most destructive men in my life and one of the biggest reasons I never want to get married. He made me believe for years that all men did those things - and I wanted no part of how he made me feel.
So I have no sympathy for him and I *really* believe this is for the best. He's out of my aunt's hair, he's treating folks much less abusively and he's actually being treated for his issues...physically and mentally. But he wants out. He is talking being back at college in 2 weeks so he can teach. He wants me to give up my weekends to take care of him so he can do so.
Uh,no. You got yourself into this, sweetheart you get yourself out of it.
That means following your diet, working your ass off in therapy - literally and getting to the point where you don't collapse when you try to go to the bathroom
Stop whining about how horrible your life is and get down to brass tacks and do something for your own self. Stop eating like a pig ( before being hospitalized and having been diabetic for years - his idea of a good supper was ordering two pork chop dinners and eating both himself. great for a Diabetic -right) and start taking the steps to get out of yourself.
Sorry not going to sacrafice my life to care for you. You need to get yourself to the point where you can care for yourself. in other words and like I said above. You got yourself into this , get yourself out.

Does Not Compute, Does Not Compute!

On a message board I am on there was a discussion of the BoyScouts of America and their ban on Homosexuals. And out of this discussion came a poster saying that Homosexuals are not likely to be pedophiles ( good so far) but that pedophilia is more akin to Asexuality.
I still can't fathom that connection. I mean what kind of mental calisthenics do oyu have to preform to equate asexuality to pedophilia???
Yes I challenged her, no she won't back down but maybe, she'll think about it next time she says something that stupid.