For Convenience Sake

BumberShootStudio Paintings

From the time I first sprouted a pinto bean in a plastic bag with wet paper towels, I knew I was meant to garden, it was in my blood. I was five years old then.

My dream of growing up and having a place with this garden never transpired quite like I thought. But if it had, it would have been complete with chickens who laid plenty of eggs and a cow who gave plenty of milk. This would of course mean plenty of fresh cream and butter! There would be many other animals in my little garden of Eden as well, but that is another story...

Over the years I have seen eggs become artificial, margarine take the place of butter...and milk, well who needs milk anymore! Everything is processed now, even our fruits and vegetables have been tampered with. All in the name of convenience (and money).

The idea behind saving time and simplifying our work sounds good but somehow always seems to come at a cost.

As I sit in a foreign country that is literally riddled with cancer...dutifully soaking my fruits and vegetables in vinegar water because of the amounts of pesticides used on them...I can't help but think about the consequences for convenience sake that seem to plague us all,

no matter where we reside.