I love Mondays

Pardon this unusually sentimental blog: today I worked alone, having not been in the garden for the weekend, there was a lot to do (sort of-it DID rain on Sunday) and I desperately needed some time for reflection. Upon waking up, I was a bit crabby. I just moved into a new home where the spiders have ruled for the past couple months and I'm trying to show them I'm boss, not by killing them, but by listening to NPR Wait Wait Don't Tell Me on full volume. Anyway, I don't sleep well as I'm sure they are all just waiting for my eyes to close and the silence to ensue in order to begin their own Thanksgiving feast on my body.

So, this morning I lumbered over to the site, not feeling particularly inspirted, energetic or excited about working through the morning. I thought about how I should have worn different shoes. I got angry that the drunk men still hit on me when I am clearly 7 months pregnant. I got irritated at the sun and the heat and the mosquitos and the indigestion of granola with unrefrigerated milk that has nearly no vitamins or nutrients in it. But immediately after I plunged the small handheld shovel into the ground and began sifting through the soil, picking out rocks for the terracing and pieces of plastic, I sank into that methodical meditation that happens each time I break ground. The symbolism of gardening is so strong for me: when done right, thoughtfully-- planting and nourishing that life is so fulfilling, as corny as it sounds. And to eat one's own effort and thought and care that was put into it...life doesn't get any better.

I began thinking of the things I need to do for the day: print a brochure for the school board so they can promote the program to other schools and also so they are more informed about what is going on in their schoolyard. I also need to finish up on that newsletter for November (getting behind on only the second edition, yikes!), I need to start applying for jobs for when I return to the USA next summer, I need to do yoga to stretch my back after squatting on the ground.

Then I started broadly thinking of the evolution of human consciousness that seems to be occuring in my home country and in the entire world right now and I felt all of a sudden, absolutely invigorated that I get to live in these exciting times. Things change slowly for sure, things are always changing without us noticing. But it seems this particular moment in time, for those of us who think with our hearts and believe in the good despite all the evidence, those of us who work not for money but for cause and for those who believe in living right not because religion or the law tells us to, but because we respect nature and all that lives in it, this change is monumental. Well, it COULD be.

I recently had an argument with a friend, who was taught by his family (being poor growing up) that money is the ticket to success in all cases, and in every situation if you have money your problems are solved..you can buy not only food and materials but also friends, sex, laughter, security, etc...but he's now older, lonely and irritated with himself without knowing why. I think this kind of disconnect from self and from nature is the cause of most of the upheaval in our society. But that is very difficult to address or even mention with people who have been conditioned to live and think in terms of numbers, structures, and the organization of people only (as opposed to the organizaiton of all life and natural resources).

I hope that the misery that people force themselves into (which is not at all to say a regular job with a regular company-just when that job that has no deeper meaning or nourishment to your body and soul and you are only working it for the money, for the acquaintences that may share in the desparity of it) will end soon. I hope that jobs become available for people who truly want to succeed and do well at serving, not just for those who know how to play the game or have friends. I loved Obama's opening statement that upon us is a time of sacrifice and responsibility...I'm ready! I hope that once again small businesses thrive, that people are seen as people again and not just as a potential profit, that passion is not feared but revered. The election of Barack Obama by such a huge margin, says alot. It says that people want change and even if they don't know why they are so unhappy (they can blame it on the surface things such as the economy, bad healthcare, poor world image--these things are all stemming from the deeper problem that we have built our society on false things and are brainwashed into thinking that we need/want ridiculous things to show who we are). The main point is that people want things to be different in their lives. I hope I get the chance to show how good life is when you know how to nourish it (I don't mean just gardening here!).

When I first looked up around noon, I realized I had planted three beautiful rows of herbs already...Parsely, Mint and Chamomile. Plus, I learned new words, "brote" means sprouts when they've come above ground...These "brotes" are Cabbage!

More later, thanks for reading. Hope you had an awesome Monday, as I did!