I love to garden. I really, truly do. My problem is time. Funny how that works, isn’t it?
One of George’s favorites out of the garden this year!
Lately I’ve been reading a lot about people who are pretty serious about where other people should get their food from…and here’s a deep thought for them: butt out.
I’m sorry, that’s not very polite, but I’m getting a little tired of the judgments that occur daily, without people thinking twice about what it is that they are truly saying.
Guess what? The world’s not such an easy place. Answers aren’t always black or white, and so many times we get so wrapped up in being right, that we forget what it is we’re even arguing about! Argh! (Sorry, there went a rant, I should have warned you.)
Let me put it this way: If you can garden, go ahead. If you can buy organic, go ahead. If you have 10 minutes to shop and the produce aisle in Wallyworld happens to be right next to the diaper aisle, go ahead.
We need to quit getting so wrapped up in other people’s business, shouting from the rooftops that they aren’t doing it “right” that we forget to be thankful that they can even make those decisions to begin with…there are so many that do not have that privilege. And yes, it’s a privilege.
I garden because I enjoy it, not because I do not believe that anyone else could possibly grow food for my children. I use my canner because it’s a tradition, not because I fear anything at the grocery store.
Homemade salsa, a staple for the winter months!
But my decisions are just that, my decisions. And you each have your own to make.
It’s a month of thankfulness, perhaps we should work on that, instead of judgments.
Just a thought.
Wag'n Tales 
You’re “preachin’ to the choir” here, but good to hear anyway. Caution on the organic stuff as I have been told that there are a lot of chemicals used there and the controls are not terrible good. Probably need to do more personal research as to the validity of these claims, but as you say, there is just so much time.
One thing for sure when it comes to food, the manufactured stuff isn’t good for us. “Diet this” and “diet that” have made us an obese nation. My problem is not butter, eggs and red meat, it is portion control and lack of discipline. Not a food matter, a personality flaw. But I avoid the foods that tout “cholesterol free” and “fat free” and say diet anywhere in the title because they are full of chemicals that my ancestors didn’t have the time/generations necessary for proper adaptation.
Just keep working on the self-discipline…
Amen!
Well said!
You are so right! All of us should remember to appreciate that we have choices – and that other people do, also!!
And yet. It’s hard to read this and say, but wait, if I have looked things over carefully and concluded there are better options out there, shouldn’t I be concerned enough to speak out? It’s a fine line, without a doubt, and I am no crusader either. But the world does change over time and it is most changed by folks who give voice to their convictions. Don’t be afraid to defend home grown food as a dang fine way to know exactly what we are ingesting.
I have no problem with sharing information and opinions, that’s not it at all…my issue comes when we criticize and alienate others, solely based on their choices, without taking the time to communicate and figure out where those choices come from. Home grown food is a GREAT way to know what we’re eating, but it’s not practical for everyone, all the time. But I’m grateful for when I can!