— “A practical revolution,” I read this phrase recently on Morag Gamble’s bio page. If you are not familiar with her, I highly recommend you spend some time reading, perusing, breathing in all of her wisdom. Her topic of education and her way of life are permaculture.
The current climate of covid-19, and the civil unrest and racial tension in America has given me pause to reexamine my beliefs. In my past, I have marched, made signs, taken my younger daughter to the Women’s March in DC. I have grown food organically since I was a young adult, lived off grid, etc. Recently one of my children asked me when I had gotten, “so conservative.” I was quietly taken aback to think I could be construed as conservative. Since that conversation, I have been considering whether I have become more conservative in my beliefs, after all I am now a woman of 53. People often appear to give up the fight as they age. I feel I have not. What I do feel is that I have grown more impatient with the restating of problems. I want to say “yes, but…” In the current climate of hurt, anger and discord, “Yes, but” is only heard as “I disagree with you and therefore I am part of the problem.”
Don’t get me wrong, I fully admit I am part of the problem. I am imperfect, I am human, I am short sighted and impatient. I also put forth the idea that being unable to hear the other side — and that goes for any side —, is part of the problem. I don’t pretend that it is easy to attempt to “truly hear” what seems to be a conflicting opinion, especially when these issues are so real and charged with history and disrespect, and when some opinions just seem downright hateful and wrong.
It is hard. It is hard to hear past someone’s words, posture and tone to find their real meaning.
However, trying to hear beyond rhetoric, beyond the language that is not as currently politically correct as we might like—, I feel that is where the meeting of each other and the healing begins. And even more importantly, that is where the solutions begin to emerge.
I think it is worth repeating: It is hard. It is hard to hear past someone’s words, posture, and tone to find their meaning.
So, I don’t feel I have become more conservative with age, but that I am more interested in a peaceful solution. I am not one who enjoys rehashing a problem over and over. I much prefer to acknowledge that there is a problem and move on to see what peaceful, kind, and productive action can be taken going forward. I fail to see where burning, shooting, beating, hating, or name calling ever did much to promote peace, harmony, or growth among people.
And to take my own advice, I have to be willing to listen to people that chose these methods, to see if there is a way I can understand how they might think these methods do promote a solution to the problem we are trying to solve. Granted, some folks are simply frustrated/angry/hurt and that is what they are trying to solve with their actions. I hope and pray these methods will soon cease and then we, as neighbors, can begin to move forward and solve some of our problems.
But wait, this is a blog on a food growing site, you say! What’s the connection? Food is about community. Food is about health. Food is about a solution to release people from dependence. Growing food allows people to contribute to the health and well-being of their families, their communities, and the planet. In essence, it is “a practical revolution.”
Teaching and supporting food self-sufficiency is one of the main goals of Mahala Love and the primary focus of Herban Renewal. Learning to grow in ways that regenerate our bodies, souls, and planet is truly a practical revolution well worth pursuing.
And on that note, I invite you to join our practical revolution, where we can learn and grow together. Come speak your truth, listen to others, and be heard yourself. Bring an open heart and mind, a pair of hands, and the willingness to get a little dirty along the way. Then, we can move forward as a community, planting new seeds and watching them grow into something that will nourish bodies, minds, and souls.
Mahala Love 