Real Danger

The I Ching, Book of Changes, answering my question about my own right action and right involvement with my community, gave me some good thoughtful advise about following my own true nature and enthusiasm, then, through changing lines, arrived at this rather ominous statement:

"The situation is one of real Danger, caused by and manifested in the affairs of man."

I have been unable to imagine how I personally could be in any real danger, the most dangerous activity I'm involved in on a daily basis is crossing the street to the mailbox.
"Hello-o" a friend of mine laughed when I told her this. She didn't have to elaborate, I had already been reading up about the invasive little process going on in my body and with the new information feeling rather sobered.

My reading and research are leading me to believe that I can not be as smugly confident of my survival as I have at times expressed. The disease that has manifested in my body has causes rooted deep in our common western lifestyle and in our management of our planet's resources.


We desire safety, shelter, comfort, and readily available food. Our standards for these necessities have risen to a level that makes mere supplying of our needs appear to be poverty. Real poverty results however not only in the absence of the things we need, but in the supplanting of good food and adequate shelter with fake look-a-likes, and in the manipulation of our need for safety to control our responses to the misappropriation of resources that we require for our survival and dignity.

That was a mouthful, and there's more of that rant where that came from. Essentially though, what I'm on about today is that if I'm going to overcome dangers through correct behavior my actions start right here in my kitchen. I've learned a lot about eating right, and I have recently gone off plan big time feeding my rampant want for sweets. To correct my response to that "hunger" I want to eat lots of good fresh organic safely produced food. Coupled with my consciousness about community action I have this to share:

Eat Here Now is an event happening in Eugene, Oregon, on Saturday May 17th. First Methodist Church, by the old library 6:30-9 Eugene Permaculture Guild event.
When you go to that site you'll find a calendar of related events. Show up and begin to help yourself to life saving food and planet saving knowledge.

We do live in a situation of real Danger. Correct behavior, acting with integrity and confidence overcomes these dangers within our own circle of influence and protects us. Besides it just feels good.