Cyndi's Two Cents

Channel your emotions

I am currently re-reading a book given to me by a dear friend many years ago.   There are readings for every day of the year covering such topics as gratitude, harmony and finding joy in the simple happenings in our daily lives. 

It’s easy to get worked up about all that we perceive to be wrong in the world.  Unfortunately, it’s also easy for us to get so caught up in the “chaos” that we are often angry, frustrated, overwhelmed and quite frankly not very much fun to be with!

I appreciate and respect the emotion, but it does us no good if we are unable to channel it in a productive way.  Not quite a month into it, reading the daily essays in my book has helped me to calm down about some things I probably cannot change while helping me to better define (sort through) those I want to tackle.

Instead of cussing the television during the political analysis on “Face the Nation” on Sunday mornings, I encourage you to call and write your senators and representatives.  Some of them will not like what you have to say, but they need to hear it. Others will listen and ask questions and appreciate hearing from you.

I believe that if each one of us would invest the time to make the calls, the grassroots of this country would be heard and recognized much more clearly.  I don’t care, as I’ve said a million times, if your political views lean to the left or to the right.  I do believe that it is our responsibility as citizens to be a part of the process.

Animal rights activists, modern-day luddites and some misguided environmental activists don’t care if your family farm has been passed from generation to generation. They do not care that you are conscientious and animal welfare is a high priority on your farm.  They do not care that your use of pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides is precise.  They do not want animals raised for food and they do not want farmers to utilize modern crop protection tools. 

Charitable donations to the groups that are working so hard to put your family farm out of business and turn consumers into vegetarians have risen exponentially in recent years.  These anti-organizations are investing hundreds of millions of dollars domestically and internationally to change – and ultimately destroy – American agriculture.

Pay attention to bills introduced in the statehouse as well as in Washington, D.C. You and I vote for our lawmakers. We put them there and they work for us. We need to make sure they are held accountable for actions they take.  

Talk to those who have the power to make a difference. We can talk to each other until our faces turn blue, but all that really does is create more chaos – unless you are working together to channel it in a productive way!