The world has been shaken up, rattled, thrown on its ear. And it seems like people with differing opinions and ideologies are being nastier to each other than ever before. People I thought I knew as sweet and loving are coming out on social media or in person and being openly hostile to those they disagree with. Now, me, I’ve got some strong opinions, and I’m not afraid to talk about them. And I welcome dialogue, as long as it doesn’t become a personal attack. But attack seems to be the plat du jour, and it’s cooked rare: folks are out for blood.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot. As I consider the political landscape, and the fear of the future that is there, I’ve been wondering what my part is to play, what my lasting contribution to the world should be. So far, to my name I’ve got: a jettisoned career in international education, a surly teenage son, two sadly abandoned blogs (make that four, but two never really got off the ground in the first place), a wilted and incomplete draft of a book-length memoir, a dusty and moldy first draft of a novel (could I still even find that file on my hard drive?), and almost equally moldy vegetables in my refrigerator drawer. If I were taken away by a sudden aneurism or a bad fall on the ice, what would be my legacy right now?
I know I have a talent for bringing people together, or so I’ve been told. And although people are divided and angry and resentful these days (and some for good reason), there is one thing that will always bring them together: food. Food is offered at almost every gathering of religious groups. Food is always offered at holiday times. We all need food, and we all appreciate delicious food; it is the great equalizer, the great unifier.
So it is with that thought, and that thought alone that I am resurrecting this blog from the ashes. I still see the value of bringing people together with food. In the same way that local food is the best for your health, well-being, and the local community’s economy, healing differences of opinion is best done at the local level. With your neighbors, your acquaintances on Facebook, your barista, the cashier at the grocery store….you find connection, love, support, and you remember what’s important. To love your neighbor, even as you love yourself. (Even if you must love them from afar.)
And, to love local food.
Being a locavore still plays a huge part in my life, and it has become ingrained in me to look first for local sources of the goods I buy. I leave you today with a little sweetness from local honey, imbued with almost magical powers, helping strengthen the immune system and fight off all the ills of winter. Pure. Local. Raw. (Kind of like our nerves right now.)
I hope to be exploring local honey in depth more in the coming posts. In the meantime, may I suggest that you make a meal and come together with others? Give out cookies for the holidays. Pay for another family’s meal, especially if they are in need. Let's all make food a way to come together for good during this divisive time.
