Sigh

After reading all the crap here and over on Fasting Debate this last few days, I don't really want to respond to any of the messages. Maybe I will, later. but with all this sh*t about me being an old moderator on a power trip, and somehow in league with chrisb1, I am reminded of the quote I found in John Robbins' book, Healthy at 100:

"An elder Abkhasian woman who was famous for knowing many curses was asked what was the most terrifying curse that can be placed on a human being. Her answer, the worst curse she could imagine, was this: “Let there be no old folks in your house to give you wise counsel, and no young people to heed their advice.”" (my italics)
[quote taken from Sula Benet, How to Live to Be 100: The Lifestyle of the People of the Caucasus (New York: Dial Press, 1976), p. 161.]

Not that I think I am particularly that wise at this stage, but if I say something or have a viewpoint it is usually with good reason. I am probably at the stage that John McDougall was a couple of years after his stroke, I am improving my health though I am lucky enough not to have had a stroke. This video came out yesterday, I was just going through my emails when I noticed it:

I still have my tonsils too. But I just think it's so sad that our society is so f***ed up that young people with potentially good lives ahead of them just waste everything on a daily basis, and target anyone old or in a position that they see as being in a position of authority, not realising the problem is actually with them. They are simply processed people. I used to do this when I was about 9, we all disrespected and old lady down the road who was probably very sad and lonely. I know better now. The sad irony is that I am not at all authoritarian. Of late I think a non hierarchial structure is the right way to go, and I like people such as John Zerzan and Derrick Jensen.

I guess the problem is we see old people as sickos with strokes, Alzheimers, heart disease and so on. That's why we disrespect them, and some fear growing old. Hardly surprising when you consider how sad and bitter some old people are. However look outsider the box... that's what I did. What would a functional society look like, rather than the dysfunctional one we live in? Well, here's us:

"Many residents of nursing homes go years without seeing a child. Their only human contact may be other old people and their care-givers. They may feel that they mean nothing to anyone, that no one loves them and that their love doesn’t matter to anyone."

"Roberto Messina, head of a Rome-based charity for elderly people, spoke of the pain experienced by elders who know they are unwanted. “The saddest thing is when an old person remains alone during visiting hours,” he said. “They pull the covers up, close their eyes and pretend to be asleep, but in reality they are crying and clenching their teeth.”"

And here's how the other half live:

"In the world’s most long-lived and healthy societies, on the other hand, elders are never shut away from the unfolding of life. Instead, they are part of extended families and continually have opportunities for mutually nourishing contact with younger generations. In Okinawa, sibling rivalries can become most heated over who will get to take care of their aging parents."

This weekend I had a great time, I was with kids and I made them laugh so much they nearly split their sides. They too made me laugh. And we gathered stinging nettles to make nettle puree, the kids decided how to cook it and some of the parents threw in their experience too on how to pick / prepare and reminded me of the usefulness of dock leaves. We ate the nettle puree with freshly caught mackerel at breakfast yesterday, it tasted great with fish. Then I come back and find all this crap... [rolls eyes and laughs]. After that weekend do I feel old? No way, especially armed with the knowledge I have.

Anyway, I will find it no big triumph to try and put those people down, because that won't do them any good. I feel a great sense of sadness, that's all. Maybe I will think of something to say later, if I do I'll try and make it funny perhaps. On the bright side I know they have loads of time ahead of them to get it right, so I guess I'll just try and switch off. I heard a motivational speaker called Derek Ross a while ago, and he used to tell us to stop arguing with people who just don't get it. He'd just shout "NEXT!" and say move on to the next person.

Oh and Anya, the unanswered question you asked about 2 months back, yes water fasting will help with that, you'll find several references to it in "Fasting and Eating for Health" by Fuhrman. You can get the ebook online, it prints to PDF which is a nicer format.

And Chris, I just notice that he put "Eating" in the title. How interesting, I hadn't noticed that before.