Prompts of rediscovering roots

I went to a couple of events on campus this week that help me re-centre myself just a little. The first was a speech by the CEO of Exxon. (No, I still haven't sold my soul...) I only went at the last minute since a friend had an extra ticket, and I got out of lab early. While the talk was ridiculously boring -- I even asked a question along the lines of how he could be less boring and more inspirational -- I was reminded, yet again, that I don't want to work for the dark side. Mostly because of a void of imaginitive and inspirational leaders. Not exactly a new revelation for me, but a pleasant reminder that I'd much rather keep looking for something amazing to do than settle for something I don't fully believe in.

Last night I saw Joel Salatin from Polyface, a "family owned, multi-generational, pasture-based, beyond organic, local-market farm and informational outreach in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley." Coincidentally, a friend also invited me at the last minute. I'm glad that I'm sticking to my schedule of flexibility so I have time for this sort of spontaneous encounter.

Joel speaks with the cadence of a preacher. While I was less of a groupie than many of the other audience members, I certainly founder myself reacting with a secular version of "amen" at the end of his phrases. His photos of his pigs tramping around in manure and his son skinning rabbits was surprisingly the closest I've felt to wanting to give up being veggie. (I'm guessing more people thought this part was rather disgusting and would instead switch them to vegetarianism.) Most importantly, I got the urge to 1, go back to the east coast, and 2, be in the woods again.

Since I left home, I've always had this tension of choosing between making a high-level difference and creating a small life that I love. Going back to my community exploration, I still haven't figured out how to reconcile being around bright ambitious people in a thriving environment (most likely urban) and living in the country. This talk and Joel's pictures reminded me that I need to keep trying. His answer to my question along such lines is that he relies on his customers as a support network. That's fine if you're an easy drive from yuppy DC suburbs, but what if you're really out there and not near a wealthy urban centre?

(Another random thought -- why do I feel compelled to ask questions in talks like these?)


Since I have to go, a brief recap on my clothing experiment. So far I've tried to dress as "Relieved," "Rugged," and "Excited." I don't know how well I'm doing externally, but I think the best part is thinking in the shower about how I feel that morning.


Have an exciting weekend!
-Emma