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While it is still summer and the leaves are green, I thought I would present a poem I wrote about The Leaf. It is a testament to the life span of leaves, and their group contribution to the success of the tree. In many ways we are each a leaf of the tree of life and community. |
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The Leaf Brown and wrinkled on the ground By Rob Hueniken
First published: Aug 31, 2009 @ 17:05 |
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Tag Archives: People
You will be eating again soon
The finishing moment of many pleasant restaurant meals is having a fortune cookie. Dropped off with the cheque, fortune cookies are a final treat, and usually a source of optimistic wisdom. So it surprised me when I opened my fortune cookie to find this message: “You may be hungry soon: order a takeout now.”
At first I thought that the cookie writer was expanding upon an old joke about Chinese food burning off quickly, but then I read it again.
Yes, I would be hungry soon — not “may be hungry soon”. I would want something to eat, and I would get something to eat. It might not be takeout food from this restaurant that I would eat, but I would definitely be eating again, and soon.
The marketing machine of North America knows full well [even though they are always hungry] that eating is a major source of profit in the world.
With the triple power-house of sugar, fat and salt, the food industries tempt our tongues with textures and our eyes with scenes of happy, shared moments — much to the detriment of our stomachs and our health. In an entertainment-focused society it is not surprising that the marketing machine would be churning out food as a source of pleasure and spending.
Most people can’t even say they actually experience hunger, because hunger has an element of duration. We are never hungry for long here in the land of enormous meals and endless snack food.
Like most people, I love eating, and I love sharing meals with family and friends. But what I don’t like is the continuous eating pressure beamed at us via TV, radio, print ads and now fortune cookies.
We all know that food is essential for our health, and good food in good quantities can help us be healthy.
I think the writer of this fortune cookie inadvertently crossed a line and opened a Pandora’s box of awareness for me. He helped me see just how relentless and widespread eating pressure is in our society.
It has made me aware, and I will be watching food ads now with more care and attention.
Celebrating our father’s confidence that things will work out
Celebrating a father’s birthday can bring out many emotions and thoughts, especially for adult children. Most of us get to experience our father for a long period of our lives, from being Daddy’s little one through to Dad seeming somehow smaller. For each of us, those days in between say a lot about how both… Continue Reading
Going through life on an angle
One of my favorite people is a friend who challenges himself in many fun and interesting ways. Whether it is acting on the local stage, shooting video, or leaning into the wind on a motorcycle or sailboat, this is a person who participates in life. He is also a very caring person, and works as… Continue Reading
We are all connected
"I'm alone, on my own, cast apart, and I'm scared" — these thoughts should only happen to each of us just once. Our first moment of feeling that we are doing life on our own should be our last. When our parent hugs us that first time should be the start of a lifetime of… Continue Reading
We are all the same size inside
Humans come in all sizes, shapes and styles, and just when you think you’ve seen every possibility you see someone who looks different yet again. I think we all find people to be interesting — they are variations on ourselves and the world-wide human community. Height is one of the greatest sources of differences with… Continue Reading
Rings around the rosey
Every child fortunate enough to learn about our solar system has been amazed by the rings of Saturn. Dusty rings encircling a planet is a strangeness exactly out of this world — very alien, and very isolated. Recent photographs of Saturn and its rings were taken by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, and published by The Smithsonian… Continue Reading
Not on the outside
One of the worst feelings is being left out. Something is going on and you aren’t included, whether it was intentionally, or you were forgotten, or they never imagined you might want to be included . While some people prefer being on their own, that is different from actually being left out. Being left out… Continue Reading
Exercising has great benefits
I was going to title this article “Exercise is great” but many people haven’t yet found a type of exercise they like. What is without doubt is that exercising has great benefits for each of us. It was only two or three generations ago that most of our families were working on farms, getting their… Continue Reading
Air is thick but sensitive
One of the biggest things we never see is all around us — the air. We know it’s there but we don’t think about it much unless it smells wonderful (like dinner) or smells terrible (like when a farmer is spreading manure on his fields). While air usually looks clear it is much more than… Continue Reading