Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Meditation on Canning Chicken 1

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While canning Chicken this evening,
I watched the top knot
on the Canner
to make sure
it hovered
at 11 pounds pressure.
Those 75 minutes
went slow.
My thoughts
typically
wander unencumbered
through new landscapes.
This time,
I mused on the Fear
of Canning
I have had
throughout my life.
I caught that
from my Mother,
who canned very little
when I was growing up.
I probably caught
that in my trainings
as a Home Economist too.
I wonder
where that came
from in our Culture
and what Purpose it serves.
Those Homemakers of yore
took on a serious responsibility
for their families.
They knew it,
they were smart,
they had skills in crafts
we "so-called advanced"
modern ones
have set aside.
They knew their risks
and took responsible actions
to the degree
they were capable.
They knew healthy Fear.
Fear is a natural emotion arising
when the Critter
which is us
feels under threat;
when Fear arises,
it comes with energy
intended for self protection.
You could call that
the Creator's Plan.
The Trouble is that Fear
became Terror
and Terror is up to no good.
That Excelerated Fear arose
in the last Century
at the same time period
that the Industrial Complex
became dominant in our lives.
That Terror kept us distant
from our own Kitchens
and our own abilties
to provide for our Families.
It launched us
into giving the responsibility
of providing food
to the Industrial Complex,
whose primary goal
became one of Bottom Line.
That Terror needs to be replaced
with some Healthy Skills.
The Kitchen of the Home
and the Homemakers
who tend it
need to come back
to Front and Center
in our Lives.
They need to sit
in a Place of Honor
they so deserve.
~~~~
Glinda Crawford, 2010
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