Mindful Metropolis December 2009 : Page 8
publisher’s notes Christmas is for Children C hristmas 1969: First human on the moon, Astronaut Neil Armstrong’s words, “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” were still ricochet- ing around the globe. About 350,000 “hip- pies” recently had a huge music, mud and love fest at Woodstock. Meanwhile, 250,000 folks marched on Washington D.C. to protest the war in Vietnam. Th e year Wal-Mart incorpo- rated Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Gasoline was 35 cents a gallon, and a new car cost about $3,000. When this photo was taken, I wasn’t think- ing about those things. I also wasn’t looking into a crystal ball. Two years away on New Years’ Eve, my fi rst sibling would be born. Within a month of that, my parents would be- gin a violent and messy divorce. At my grand- parents’ farm, I would watch my father shoot the dog in this picture because the pup had worms. Th at “builds character.” In reality, what that and many other disturbing events built in my undeveloped mind was an image of a mal- adjusted social system. Somewhere along the line, the chip on my shoulder would fade. It took a very long time. Th ough I do not have children of my own, my partner has two lovely, recently wed off - spring. I cannot begin to express the anxious enthusiasm with which I await possible grand- child experiences. I am also marked with trepi- dation. Th e current environment in which we live has social, ecological and economic hur- dles that have experienced questionable evolu- tion over four decades. My interest in (and observation of) child development increases exponentially with the advancement of time. While I see the many challenges of child-rearing, I also see some golden opportunities. Recently, I had the plea- sure of attending a fund-raising event for Foo- ditude (fooditude.tv). Fooditude is under construction as a reality- 8 december 2009 based television program focused on children. Th e program interactively teaches the basics of cooking and nutrition with fun and relevance. Fooditude will include food-related skills: cooking and gardening; encouraging environ- mental awareness and stewardship; fostering cultural appreciation, social interaction and teamwork; and providing culinary history and food-science facts, all of which empower kids to make healthy choices in their own lives. Another beautiful program, Th e Organic School Project (organicschoolproject.org), has a hands-on approach to helping kids learn about food, nature, and their environment. Th ere is a three-point model: 1.) Grow: OSP sets up organic vegetable and herb gardens at school, kids learn about health, well-being, and their connection to our planet, and they get to cook and eat the fresh produce they grow. 2.) Teach: knowledgeable instructors lead kids in learning about the food they eat, how it aff ects them and the planet. 3.) Feed: OSP feeds kids wholesome, less processed, more organic and local food. Th ese programs need our support. Th ese are not the only worthy child outreach and educa- tion programs, however. Th ere are more chil- dren than programs, and to many kids these programs would be a luxury since even basic needs are not being met. Th is holiday season, re- gardless of economic conditions, perhaps we can give just a little bit more to children’s programs. Whether it is devoting time, money or other resources, we must invest in kids in our com- munities. It may be cliché, but they are our fu- ture. Maybe when our kids grow up consciously, building character will not be a necessity. Richard McGinnis Publisher
Publisher's Notes
Richard McGinnis
Christmas is for Children
Christmas 1969: First human on the moon, Astronaut Neil Armstrong’s words, “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” were still ricocheting around the globe. About 350,000 “hippies” recently had a huge music, mud and love fest at Woodstock. Meanwhile, 250,000 folks marched on Washington D.C. to protest the war in Vietnam. The year Wal-Mart incorporated Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Gasoline was 35 cents a gallon, and a new car cost about $3,000.
When this photo was taken, I wasn’t thinking about those things. I also wasn’t looking into a crystal ball. Two years away on New Years’ Eve, my first sibling would be born. Within a month of that, my parents would begin a violent and messy divorce. At my grandparents’ farm, I would watch my father shoot the dog in this picture because the pup had worms. That “builds character.” In reality, what that and many other disturbing events built in my undeveloped mind was an image of a maladjusted social system. Somewhere along the line, the chip on my shoulder would fade. It took a very long time.
Though I do not have children of my own, my partner has two lovely, recently wed offspring. I cannot begin to express the anxious enthusiasm with which I await possible grandchild experiences. I am also marked with trepidation.
The current environment in which we live has social, ecological and economic hurdles that have experienced questionable evolution over four decades.
My interest in (and observation of) child development increases exponentially with the advancement of time. While I see the many challenges of child-rearing, I also see some golden opportunities. Recently, I had the pleasure of attending a fund-raising event for Fooditude (fooditude.tv).
Fooditude is under construction as a reality based television program focused on children. The program interactively teaches the basics of cooking and nutrition with fun and relevance. Fooditude will include food-related skills: cooking and gardening; encouraging environmental awareness and stewardship; fostering cultural appreciation, social interaction and teamwork; and providing culinary history and food-science facts, all of which empower kids to make healthy choices in their own lives.
Another beautiful program, The Organic School Project(organicschoolproject.org), has a hands-on approach to helping kids learn about food, nature, and their environment. There is a three-point model: 1.) Grow: OSP sets up organic vegetable and herb gardens at school, kids learn about health, well-being, and their connection to our planet, and they get to cook and eat the fresh produce they grow. 2.) Teach: knowledgeable instructors lead kids in learning about the food they eat, how it affects them and the planet. 3.) Feed: OSP feeds kids wholesome, less processed, more organic and local food.
These programs need our support. These are not the only worthy child outreach and education programs, however. There are more children than programs, and to many kids these programs would be a luxury since even basic needs are not being met. This holiday season, regardless of economic conditions, perhaps we can give just a little bit more to children’s programs. Whether it is devoting time, money or other resources, we must invest in kids in our communities.
It may be cliché, but they are our future. Maybe when our kids grow up consciously, building character will not be a necessity.
