Two Tribes or One?

I'm beginning to think that I need another category. I'll call it "Musings."

I drove to the Farmer's Market in Goshen yesterday morning. (Alec, now you know why I couldn't have a translation meeting. ;-)) I don't drive a lot and am even more careful in not making any unnecessary trips since I have been struggling to try to follow the 90% rule of Riot 4 Austerity. (There's a link for the site on the sidebar.) But the Goshen market is only about nine miles from here and the Maple City co-op is also there. So I can get fresh, local produce and all my bulk supplies in one trip.

There's not much fresh, local produce available midwinter in Northern Indiana, but I got what I was hoping to from Kate Lind of Sustainable Greens and a few other growers.  It's such a delight to buy food that was picked (okay I confess, the delicious cookies I bought were baked) just yesterday.  To get to meet the grower or the baker helps to foster a connection with what we eat. Local food is "real" food, in most cases neither genetically engineered nor bombarded with pesticides. It tastes like food used to taste. And it nourishes (not sure of the cookies on this one!) just like food used to.

As I was driving, I continued to listen to Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma. Pollan was writing about "tribes." Thanks to the Internet, we can find people who share our interests and concerns. We can find others who belong to our "tribe." Our tribe might be concerned about living simply and in a sustainable way or it may be concerned about living in a way that focuses on doing good and on not harming others. Hmm...sounds like the two tribes may not be two after all.

Living our practice can be done every moment as we mindfully consider the consequences of our actions and wisely make decisions—not for our own gratification—but for the welfare of others.