When I was a kid, my parents were going through a bit of a health kick. Of course, I am now incredibly grateful for the foundation of healthy eating habits that they instilled in me, but at the time I was not a fan. I did not like to be told what I could not eat or eating the things I did not like. I wanted to have a choice.
I am not alone in this - kids for centuries have been trying to choose ice cream for breakfast and thankfully most parents have not allowed it. Sometimes we need help with our choices or we need to entrust experts or our parents with making the choice for us.
But the matter of choice gets more sinister when half the population loses the human right to choose what happens to their bodies and are denied access to reproductive health services. Or when women are forced to cover themselves and beaten or even killed for bravely choosing not too. These blatant attempts to control and limit choice are violent and devastating and affect all of us.
To fully understand choice, we must examine its relationship to freedom. Are we really free if so many in our society feel that they do not have a choice in matters that are so important to their lives? And, when is having too many choices paralyzing?
With the midterm elections upon us in the U.S., we all have some serious choices to make. On this day, we get to choose who we want to represent us and our diverse community of needs. Will we elect people who will serve us with integrity and care or those who will continue to rely on fear and scapegoating as means to further control?
Ultimately, we get to choose.
Our Next Virtual Gathering’s theme is: Choice
Please join with a beverage or food of your choice and a story about a food you did not have a choice about eating when you were a kid.
When: Virtual Gathering - Thursday, November 3rd, at 8:00PM ET / 5:00PM PT
Community Brunch Pod - Friday, November 4th, at 12:30PM ET / 9:30AM PT
How: Sign up here. Zoom details will be sent on day of the event.
Cost: $20 to secure your spot (Venmo @communityincontext)