Monday, June 20, 2011

A Different Perspective

In reviewing my past few posts and reading what others of like mind are writing, I have decided to look at things differently today. 

Most of what is being written from the "wellness" side of the page focuses on the horrible (as we perceive them) things done on the conventional side in the name of health care and how wrong-headed this approach really is.  It is easy to get into this mode since our views are so opposite from theirs (if you will forgive me for giving voice to such dichotomy).  I mean there is such a huge difference between wellness (on our side) and disease maintenance (on their side) that it is easy to  get into an "us vs. them" mentality rather than seeing that both approaches are made with the best of intentions (on some level and to some degree) - even if those intentions may not result in the improved long-term health of the patient.

So let's forget about "them" for a minute and focus on "us".  Have you stopped lately to think how far we've come in in our thinking and actions in such a short period of time?  OK, I realize that most of the medical modalities (homeopathy, acupuncture, herbs, etc) and the sustainable agriculture practices we talk about are centuries old so from that perspective it is not such a short period of time unless we are thinking in geological terms.  But for this current resurgence it has been a really short period of time - just a few decades.

A few years ago there were so few people who had ever heard of homeopathy that it was for all practical purposes extinct in the US.  With the other "alternative and complementary" modalities things may not have been that dire but none of these modalities were in the public eye until the very last part of the 20th century.  The same holds true for the grass-fed, sustainable, organic agricultural practices.  Now it is not difficult at all to find practitioners or producers in just about every region of our country.  And the numbers are growing every day.

There are associations of complementary and alternative health care practitioners, entire organizations dedicated to the local production of fresh whole foods, and consumer advocacy groups pushing for more access to these goods and services.

Things are changing quickly and dramatically to the point where even the common media and the aloof politicians are paying attention.

So why do so many of us look at the negatives of the other side and not the positives of what we are doing and accomplishing?  I think it is because we are on the leading edge of this movement.  From this position, we look ahead and can see only uncharted territory or else we see areas populated by "them" with their conventional, pharmaceutical, agrochemical mindset.  We don't often stop and turn around to see the growing numbers that are now following our lead.

But if we did, we would see an entirely different scene than the free thinkers of even a quarter of a century ago would have seen.  We would see a ground swell of interest in  health and wellness, of living and working with nature, and of having access to true nutrition.

And make no mistake, everyone who is talking about and working toward health and wellness, not submitting to the dictates of conventional medicine and chemical agriculture, is a true leader in this movement.  You can make a difference locally and globally - and you are making a difference -  by your collective presence, by your actions, and by your influence.  

This is an exciting time when we really don't have to criticize those who are following the industrial chemical models of living but can look at the positives happening in our world because of our collective awareness and actions and let these positives speak for themselves.

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