I couldn't think of a better title. Don't worry, my toe is OK. But maybe I shouldn't try to cut my toenails and think at the same time. Blonde hair has its downsides. It'll grow back.
Anyhow, so I was thinking this morning when I woke up, which I think was spurned by the fact that my damn blender broke and it was going "EE" every time I tried to blend my marionberries into breakfast. I was so annoyed at it, because my heart was all set on having marionberries and now I had to subside for the second best thing, a banana, which tastes nothing like marionberries at all. I bought my berries frozen and without a microwave, heating them up is kind of a slow process, especially since this is Oregon, so it's about 45 degrees out in the morning in the summer. Anyhow, I had my banana (and some raisins) and I drove to the EPA building thinking to myself about the giant frickin' cow that I saw this morning while running. I don't think I've ever seen a cow up close that wasn't a bull in Germany that I was running AWAY from. These were safe cows, behind fences, and most importantly: udders, not horns. I realized also as I was running: the field behind my house is most definitely a wheat field, not a grass field as I imagined earlier. The grains are developing on the grasses now and it's very evident that it will be harvested later in the year into wheat products.
I guess the synergy of all the three things made me think: first, the cow was very endearing, and it was (alone) on a field about the same size as the giant wheat field. The giant wheat field was just full of waving grasses. And I was upset about my marionberries. Suddenly I felt really like a huge jerk. Here I was, upset because I couldn't have my special kind of cross-blended-Oregon-extravaganza berries. There was a cow, using up a whole field. And there was a wheat field, growing plentifully. I felt sort of ashamed at myself, and at that culture I haven't come to shake completely; I, like whoever put that cow on that field to make meat, was not thinking of my own luxury as above communal economy. I wanted something special, when the fact of the matter was... there was something plentiful all around me. Fail economics lesson number 1.
Now, I'm not saying eating cows is bad. I've certainly eaten my share of cows. And I know that many cultures rely on cow products for food. But I'm saying that the cow caused something to came to my mind, and at least was a lesson in humility, and I can say for certain that I definitely need my daily dose of humility because I have way too much pride, so I guess it was good. So I blog about this so that I will remember it and think about it, as I am doing now.
I guess what I'm saying is, I can go to the Fred Meyer and walk down an entire AISLE of just various flavors of chip foods. But there are places in the world where people can barely get by. It was very humbling.In fact, I was so astonished at this thought I nearly cut off my toenail, and the story ends where it begins, eh?
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