Food Choices Lead Us to Prepare for the Great Change

(2 book suggestions at the bottom!)

People talk about many "great" things.  For example, there is The Great Depression, The Great War, and of course...Alexander the Great.  I think "great" is a strange adjective to use for things which are violent, terrifying and destructive.  And, I've often wondered why?  I think "great" should be used for things which are momentous, exciting, challenging, and important.

Well, when I was a teenager, I took a look at the historic patterns of empires, the average length from their creation to their inevitable demise, and I applied that template to the empires of my day...and I said, "I will likely see the collapse of my society halfway through my life."

As I matured, I began to realize that language and intention matter...and so, I came up with a new way of viewing our natural shift away from empire domination.  

Now I call it:  The Great Change.

Funny how powerful that word is!  And how laden with connotative meaning.

Change is the only constant.                  (acceptance and submission)

Everybody fears change.                       (anxiety and discomfort)

It's time to change for the better!           (hope and confidence)

So, I'm trying to focus on and develop the sense of "change" as being natural, normal, and positive.  Therefore...rather than call our current economic implosion a "Great Recession," I prefer to say that we are "experiencing the early stages of the Great Change."

And I honestly believe this.  In a finite world, there is no reason to believe that unfettered growth is possible.  The question of course becomes, WHAT will fetter us?  Our self-control and wisdom?  Our wars and human-caused famines?  Our destruction of the natural order?  Or...what?

Well, we can't know.  And we can't control this, as an individual.  BUT, we CAN begin to model for others a new way of living...a way which reflects purposeful changes based upon what we see happening around us...a way that is actually healthier and happier than the rat race we've become accustomed to and believe is good.

Here are two books which help a person do exactly this!  One is a unique gardening book.  The other is more of a memoir.  Both are fascinating reads, contain applicable information for every person, and deserve space on any person's "how can I improve my life and leave the world a better place" book shelf.  

The Resilient Gardener:  Food Production and Self-Reliance in Uncertain Times

Including the Five Crops You Need To Survive and Thrive - Potatoes, Corn, Beans, Squash, and Eggs

By Carol Deppe

Radical Homemakers

Reclaiming Domesticity From A Consumer Culture

By Shannon Hayes

Check them out at your local library, recommend them to your gardening club or book club, and begin to consider...how can you make "self-reliance" a normal part of your lifestyle?

Happy reading!

~March