the unexamined life

 "the unexamined life is not worth living"  socrates

sounds terribly serious for a short post on the first day of summer..

i for one am delirious with joy today for it is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, weather and light to really live by!  mother nature is beckoning us to rejoice in her beauty and rising mercury. our gardens are brimming with ripening fruits and vegetables and we are wearing comfortable summer clothes! whatever you are or aren't doing, get outdoors, take off your shoes and/or your summer clothes, gaze up at the warm sun, breathe deeply and be happy to be alive.

'tis but a brief examination of the surface of things.. a DUH kind of approach to what might make some of us brim with excitement but that supposes that all else is in good order. what difference does it make what the weather is doing if we are stressed out or infirm, worrying about the war(s), the oil spill, the economy?

i propose that a wee dose of "self"ishness once in awhile is

mandatory.. especially today.. so whatever it is that you really want to do, start planning it today.. take time for pleasure, what a tonic! life is short! summer is even shorter but today is long!

the embedded reading material is the first of eight, this one is called lifestyle.. what is yours? it just might be worth examining! (click on image to enlarge)

springing into summer, dash out to your nearest asian market or well stocked health food store and pick up some spring roll skins and gift wrap your favorite greens and veges in an exquisitely, transparent and edible light meal or appetizer. here is my version:

follow package directions for the skins.. don't let them get too wet or they will be difficult to handle.        

and depending on how many you want to make, increase your ingredients to accommodate the amount.

SPRING ROLLS 

                                                           

arugula

napa cabbage                                                            

shredded carrot                                                             

peeled cucumber in strips                                                              

red bell pepper strips                                                           

avocado slices                                                               

sprouts                                                            

                                                           

assemble ingredients in the center of spring roll. fold in sides and roll up being careful not to break through the delicate rice membrane as you roll. it will self seal. they should be about 2 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter.

DIPPING SAUCE                         

1/4 cup maple syrup                                                           

2 t dijon style mustard

2 t rice vinegar                                                          

2 T olive oil

1 T  sesame oil                                                             

1 T minced ginger                                                            

juice from 1/2 juice orange                                                            

1/4 cup fresh lime juice                                                             

1 T braggs amino acids or nama shoyu                                                           

                                                                                                                               

combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl, whisk and serve.

the missing manual

what if when we were born, we came with an instructional manual for optimal performance just like a flat screen TV or a juicer.. has anyone written this important how to guide? do we target children or their parents? yes, both!

since my "rebirth", i have read many excellent books by doctors, scientists, health care professionals,  and assorted gurus on proper nutrition,  exercise and spirituality but mostly, they target the mature, already flagging audience that is fed up or sick and looking for a different approach to wellness. no matter how we have erred at the art of living, we are all born with an innate inner guidance system that, provided we are not insane or on life support, is always poised to be heard and implemented. we just have to learn to listen to it before we are in the grip of disease, depression or debt. this is a very tall order given how most of us come into the world and cycle through our lives. small children are fearless and wise, intuitive and playful.  in most cases they have excellent health and their bodies are not yet traumatized by poor eating habits and psychological damage. they are too immature to actively seek to perpetuate this stream of wellness and then life happens. we want to believe what we are taught, we begin to lose ourselves to the collective wisdom which i propose is down right hazardous to our health.

there is a glut of books on baby care, nutrition,  techniques for insuring well behaved children and even yoga for kids but no where that i can see do we have the "de facto" guide on exactly how the body works and why whole organic living foods are the only way to optimum health well into our twilight years, how to be of service to others instead of self serving, how to manage your money, when to work and when not to, how to be in relationships from sharing your toys to sharing your bed and maybe most importantly, how not to accept blithely, information from authority figures, our government, the medical establishment, the educational system, organized religion and anyone else who is lording over our minds and our futures. yes indeed we need to learn to read and write but all of the aforementioned, essential and practical knowledge is in my opinion, equally significant, no.. critical to the eventual adult that we all, like it or not, become.  if someone really taught this to me when i was a child, i may not have veered off into drug and alcohol use thinking it my right of passage. like drilling for oil, there can be a point of no return and then combustion! ( a blatant barb directed at BP and transocean.. ) our sugar culture is another early childhood trap that together with the advent of baby formula, insures we all become addicted to it the minute the breast is tucked back into it's reinforcements if used at all. our parents unwittingly pass on their fears and learned behaviors. we all know now that our text books are written with selective memory and omission and somehow, despite having brothers and sisters and living among our human family, we grow up thinking only about me, me, me! we are not very skilled in the art of love and relationship. we baby boomers were raised during the advent of epic global divorce .. some of you are probably saying harumph! i am a shining example of brotherly love, charity and wisdom and i have no doubt that some of you are.. thankfully, we have many great and heroic models to exalt and hold up as a testament to humanity but let's face it, most of us need help! do you remember wavy gravy, the 60's clown prince of counter culture.. some say the love child of harpo marx and mother teresa? i am reminded of one of his most revered quips, " we are all bozos on this bus so we might as well sit back and enjoy the ride" this suggests we couldn't possibly take a different approach to our lives so wait out your fate with a smile... hmmm, let's think way outside of this box, shall we? there could be a systematic approach to creating whole, healthy, happy and brilliant little beings one after the other. imagine how our world could change and how long we could live in healthy minds and bodies, a real utopia! i know i am flaunting an idealist view but if we can imagine it, we can manifest it.

so will someone please cull together all the principles of love, life, peace, health, nutrition, service, sacrifice, faith, wisdom and honor and write the damn book already?? if we start now, we could have it ready in time for our children's children. i am willing to tackle the children's book if someone out there can take on the grown ups.. wavy gravy, if your listening,  i know we would pay very close attention to a chapter devoted to your unique and now ripe with age philosophy. everybody's got to get on board the new bus!

this post inspired by my friend, joy gross, an ageless 80 something model of health and wellness currently writing her own chapter for this tome of truth.