THE BEGINNING
As I sit here writing the first thoughts I will share with the world in long format there is madness and unrest happening in all corners of the globe. I realize now that holding back my thoughts and words believing they were naive or unimportant may have been selfish, for thoughts are meant to be shared and I may reach someone, somewhere in the world who may find solace in knowing there is a spirit out there with the same perspectives or idealism. With this in mind I want to begin this journey by briefly outlining my character.
I am a Chef by trade and an Anarchist in theory who believes Activism is the answer to our problems. My calling for my work and my idealism was inherited and ingrained subconsciously from my childhood and developed though years navigating the globe, theorizing and developing a realist view of society with an open mind.
On my Mothers side, my grandfather owned a small restaurant in Northern Vermont, my Grandmother was a wonderful cook and baker, and my Family always gathered around food and drink. This is where I learned how to care for people, how to share stories and ideas, and how to express love through hospitality. I learned that the most important thing we have to give in this world is ourselves, our love, our time, and our perspective. I learned that through food I could not only provide sustenance and happiness for people but also share my perspective and challenge theory. This was the birth of the Chef.
Although my Family always gathered together and shared space I don’t believe they always shared ideals, and that seemed to be OK. Argument was not only accepted but encouraged, as a youth I didn’t see this as abnormal because this was my reality. As I grew older and saw the “symbiosis” of other families I realized that ideologically we were different. For others disagreements were seen as unacceptable and linear thinking was viewed as the norm. I was perplexed as to why these people were chasing perfection and it felt uncomfortable and sticky. I couldn’t imagine a life where I was unable to challenge the status quo and think freely. This was the birth of the Anarchist.
My Father left early on, my Mother was alone with two young children and no real support system, she found a partner who she believed would help her navigate the difficult situation that had been laid upon her, but on the contrary she was dealt another painful situation. As I grew in to my teenage years I was able to digest what I was, and had been watching, a Single Mother with an unsupportive partner who brutalized her emotionally and physically, doing her best to navigate the world having not been equipped with the tools to do so. She woke up every day and put on her armor to face the challenges at hand, never complaining about her situation, never speaking poorly of others, just doing what needed to be done to make her children’s lives better so that they may flourish in the future. This is where the Activist was born.
I have come to learn through life the most powerful and transformative messages come in forms we can’t readily comprehend. At transmission these messages can feel hurtful, confusing, or unjust. Why is this happening to me? Why is my life so hard? Why do they have what I don’t? These are questions I assume we have all asked ourselves, the way we generally justify is that we didn’t have the same opportunities or advantages and that we were dealt a bad hand. The reality is if you are not open to learn, everything in front of you will seem like a challenge and the easy road (as explained by those in power) will be to conform following the guidelines to the path of least resistance in turn becoming a model citizen to whom all the fruits of peace and equanimity will be bestowed upon.
This is white wash laid down to create an obedient society that wont get in the way of capitalism or the thoughts of those who are crowned more intelligent and well to do. We must stand up each day and put on our armor, we must have a passion for providing sustenance in whatever form we are able to for those around us, and we must think freely without borders challenging those who aim to shoot us down. We do not need leaders to create our lives for us, we evolved without hierarchy and I believe we can do so again.
