I'm a 33 year-old woman who lives an average life. I have a full-time, middle-class job. I was raised in a middle-class family. I went to college. I have a car, a home, a family, and some pets. I pay my taxes. I watch television, listen to the radio, and buy stuff on the Internet. I play computer games, use text messaging, have cable TV, and a GPS system in my car. I eat at fast food restaurants that have drive-through service. I buy my groceries from a large supermarket. I do all the stuff most Americans would consider essentials to living! It's convenience. It's being able to connect with people in an instant. It's pressure from advertising to do the things that you 'should' be doing, as a responsible American consumer. But what happens when something rocks your status quo? What happens when someone tells you that all those things that are essential to our culture are making you sick?
In 2010 I was diagnosed with a couple of illnesses. The first, and the one that started this whole shindig, is a bladder disease called Interstitial Cystitis. It affects your bladder by creating ulcers and extra blood vessels in the tissue walls, which can rupture and bleed when exacerbated by the foods I consume. Overnight I went from being a normal person to writhing in pain after I would eat something that I shouldn't have (namely acids, caffeine, and artificial ingredients). All my fast food french fries and sweet tea days were numbered! The preservatives and additives I consume actually caused my bladder tissue to change. It is now permanently damaged as a result of the fuel I have put in my body. But it's no simple matter to change 33 years of burgers, and caffeine, and sugar! I LOVE my Mountain Dew and McDonald's french fries! HOW CAN I LIVE THROUGH THIS?
But the answer is that I have to. Over the past two years I have had to evaluate many areas of my life, because it's all connected. You can't just say you're going to change the food you eat. Because so many other things change in the process! It's where you shop, your budget, your family's ability to adapt with you (or not), the way your friends perceive you, whether you can do the job you were hired to do...it's all a big, hot, steamy mess. And while I was desperately searching for things to make my disease less severe through diet, I discovered just how bamboozled we have been by our own culture. This culture we belong to, and ultimately shape, is convincing us that we're not important enough to care for. I was convinced that as a young person I could eat what I wanted, exercise or not, and still live my average life. BZZZZZZZ WRONG! Guess what, kids? You are being controlled by your environment and the people around you. And until you realize it, you're going to get sucked in, just like I did. Even if it's not your fault that you're in the middle of it, you can still do something about it!
So here's what I'm proposing. I want to run an experiment on myself...a person who LOVES the conveniences of my life. I want to find a way to live more responsibly in my own body, my home, my neighborhood, my country, and my world at large. I mean, what do I have to lose (other than a few pounds)? I am willing to try just about anything that you, as a reader and fellow cultural representative, can offer me (along with my own theories, of course). But I warn you, I am VERY resistant to change. It's hard to stick with personal ultimatums and resolutions. But if it works on me....it can certainly work for you! And I am full of ideas! It's just a matter of doing them.
As a final note, this is really a personal journey, but could serve as a kicking off point for you too. Because really, you're worth it. Life is too short to cruise by without acknowledging that we're in control of it. And the last thing I want to do is look back at my life and wonder why I never lived with any kind of intention. So, embarking on this journey, I'm about to figure out where in the world to begin. Until then, I leave you to consider these changes with me.
Namaste.
