Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Generation Gap


Naturally I gravitate to those that are closer in age and maybe look like the creative type. At first glance, humans seem to connect to those like themselves. Too bad, more often than not, we judge people by their appearance and first words out of their mouths instead of getting to know them. I accept that most business trips I attend with my husband result in my attending spouse dinners and activities. Sometimes I enjoy chatting with elders and I tend not to judge from the get go because women my moms age have different priorities and may not dress like me or care about the latest music on college radio. Tuesday night I took in an earful from 2 of the women, one being very high powered, working with celebs and government types, maximizing their visibility. The other is a mom with kids in college in different states with no job. Between the two, I was informed of the importance of woman power in addition to the demands of having not ONE but multiple children.
I walked away from dinner feeling worked, so out of it. I see that there is a HUGE difference in the way the late 40's crowd and the 30-ish crowd prioritizes their goals. For example, many women upward a generation from mine seem to be very focused on equality and building strength of women everywhere. The generation before that seems to believe in the homemaker/at home mommy as being just fine and acceptable as a respectable job. MY generation seems to focus on a mix of professions, but many are concerned with the future of this planet. We have been inundated with racial and gender equality since the first day at school. There is no question that everyone should be treated equally, its just so automatic to my generation. We may not be perfect in treating every single person with respect, but that is a different subject.
What I am trying to get at is, our environment is at the forefront of our lives today. We are emotionally involved in our work. My discussion with the ladies seemed dismissed when we veered off into the department of food politics. Habits die hard. One of my dinner friends did not like animals at all. She eats a lot of meat she said. Totally foreign to me....apparently areas in northern Maine do not have access to fresh produce? What? I dunno if that is true but the main point made was regarding healthy eating being more expensive than your fast food. I had to make my point about Americans spending the least percentage of their income of any country on food, but health care spending is highest.
I cannot accept that in this day and age of various methods of transportation, that states in America do not have access to fresh produce. If you are poor, can you not grow some food for very little, using very little space? I realize fast food is cheap, but there ARE ways to eat on the cheap and still eat healthy.
I pledge to find out if and how eating healthy can be as affordable as junk food. If anyone knows of current data that supports this idea, please let me know! AND, if you live in northern Maine, please tell me whether or not you can access produce.
I suppose I will just keep truckin' and reporting on my new favorite read, "The Bloodless Revolutions" which discusses the history of vegetarianism. Its so interesting! More later.....

2 comments:

SNAKE HUNTERS said...

Vegetarians are much like the cult
religions...they prozelitize. Why?

No one can explain it! We humans are omnivores, but do I ask veggie
lovers to abandon carrot sticks?

Our Weblog is loaded with Logic and
Reason, and the will to survive, but we don't insist. Have a look. reb

www.lazyonebenn.blogspot.com

Keri Jean Siry said...

Dear snake hunter, if you want us to take you seriously, lets spell properly. "Proselytise" is the right way....I am sure your blog is for no reason other than to provide totally objective information, not to sway ANYONE to feel a certain way by presenting your opinion....facts are plenty on my blog, people just don't want to face them sometimes because old habits die hard. (as your blog also proves regarding middle east struggles!) Good luck to you....