My Politics of Kneading and Pedaling

During the RNC I marched against the war, against the boring political establishment, and in solidarity with people that are genuinely upset.  I also marched to see how easily a bona fide police state can be established in my back yard.  Biking to the Science Museum or the Farmer's Market won't ever feel quite the same.  I marched alone with the crowd, and as we turned back away from the Excel Center (so controlled and relaxed this part of the day was), I was reminded of the political in my life.  And while I have always felt a vague sense of purpose in certain of my choices, the frustration I felt at both political parties---at corporate irresponsibility, at the smallness of our actions against the sea of institutions that waste more, spend more, and hurt more than all the marchers combined--- hit me as we climbed back to the capital building, and it made me think about my political choices.

In particular, my most political choices are biking and baking.  But they didn't start out political.  I didn't sell my car to make a political statement.  I sold it to save money.  I didn't start biking because of some political decision.  I started biking because a student in one of my speech classes gave a presentation that finally convinced me to give it a go.  I didn't start baking  my own granola and bread to make a political statement.  I did it because it tastes good and it saves money.  Plus it's fun.  So to say that these decisions are political for me is sort of a load of crap.  But not any more.  Now these decisions are completely political, simply because I want them to be. 

I bike because, well, honestly, it's a hell of a lot of fun.  But I also bike because it doesn't hurt the environment and it allows me to actively ignore the oil economy.

I bake granola and bread because it's healthy for me, because it doesn't require packaging, because it doesn't require advertising, because it doesn't support industrial farming, and it doesn't support corporations that hurt our children and pollute our environment.

These choices are political because they take me, at least in a small way, out of economies of power that I disagree with.  It's a small step, but removing my capital from capitalistic enterprises that do harm is my vote.  I do it everyday.  I'm always looking for ways to, in the words of my nephew Charlie, "do more better." Got any suggestions?

Comments

[Kaitlin]

"Politically correct" food just tastes better. Besides, cooking from scratch (or as close to it as I can get) is something I do gladly. As cheesy as it sounds, I find it centering. Kitchen yoga, if you will.

And I sleep better at night not owning a car--but that's more because I find driving itself to be incredibly stressful. Cars are isolating. Public transit and biking really put you out there, IN the city.

And helmets. Yes. I am continually amazed by the number of cyclists I see cruising down Lyndale at night, without lights and without helmets! Most of them look like they are very image-conscious and a helmet might ruin their perfectly coiffed "bedhead" but there is just nothing sexy about a broken skull.

[Kaitlin]

Oh, and yes. Suggestions for doing more better. You probably already know this stuff: join and shop at a co-op if you don't already, buy/eat locally grown and produced food (my co-op has a line on the receipt saying what percentage of my total was local), shop the bulk bins, buy milk in returnable glass bottles (heavy on a bike...), make your own yogurt (those containers are hard to recycle and if you eat as much yogurt as I do, you run out of ways to reuse them), and of course, educate yourself. There's lots of great reading out there on the topic of food politics.

[Shannon]

I suggest that you share your granola recipe with me. I'm pretty sure my brand is not really made by the Quakers, and the stuff I like from the farmer's market will bankrupt me.