Thursday, May 10, 2012

Unshaven Legs and Unimaginable Adventures!

It's that time again... well, with a few new features; >It is exam week, and (thankfully) exams are not plaguing me this year... there are just ridiculously long papers that I have neglected to write because I am a procrastinator at heart, in action, and every possible way. > But next up is ADVENTURE time! This summer I won't be trekking off on my own in pursuit of ravenous tornadoes, sky-scraping mountains, teething feral animals or anything similar. I might run into all of the above, but I will be with my best guy friend ever (and my in 16 days husband)! What fun that will be. It's looking like a fiery tabasco sauce, Michigan cold adventure like no other. And maybe throw Washington State in there too - we are hoping to intern at one of the most intriguing organic farms I've come across - Spencer Fruit Organic Farms in Wenatche, Washington. *dreamy sigh* just the thought reminds me of childhood wanderings around Bellingham, WA and Lummi Island where my patchwork quilt, not-too-oversized family celebrated Great Grandma's 80th Birthday. That was the first time I encountered cous-cous and other strangeness. The inn we were staying at brought my Grandma out a sheet cake insulated with white sugar frosting and decorated with flowers - yes, that's right - flowers... on our sweet Birthday cake. Now that I know some flowers (like nasturtiums) are edible and actually quite tasty I laugh at the horrified and pained expressions painted on all of our faces. What was on the cake? In my mind's eye I see some daisy cultivar- who knows if that's accurate though? I was around 12 the first time, now at 22 years old I've changed a lot. Probably look more or less the same- with an extra foot or two added on. But What always changes the most with me is my attitude towards and acceptance of life. Back then I scoffed at people who thought you could eat the flowers on a birthday cake. Now I'm delighted to tell people what flowers they can eat. I was raised in an environment that was, hmmm... would it make sense to say "anti-hippie"? I thought that peace signs were somehow demonic (I didn't know the peace sign actually includes the symbols N & D - standing for Nuclear Disarmament), I thought vegetarians were people who cared more about animals than their fellow humans - and all other sorts of misconceptions plenty of others still hold fast to. Oh, and I also was told I could not be on the swim team unless I would shave my legs - pretty typical - I mean, most 8th grade girls are just dying to have silky, smooth legs, and my mom wanted that for me - in my best interest. But now I don't shave my legs. Ha! I do not shave my legs! What? Some would be shocked and disgusted - trust me, I had plenty of questions and obvious stares last summer working with around 60 cool high schoolers a week. But why should women shave their legs? Men don't. Should they? Most people say: "No! That would just be weird!" Why would it be weird? Because our culture and the media says it would be weird, just like they say a beautiful woman has smooth, soft to the touch legs. Well, I don't have to seduce anyone with my legs. Not only am I almost married to a man who loves me, but I would not want any slimy guy who thinks "his woman" must shave her legs to be touching mine anyways!