Throw me some beads!

My Fat Tuesday sushi feast was quite the success.
Unfortunately Kat was unable to join me due to the flu, so Gabriel and I hit Wa on Massachusetts street. Maguro (tuna) and inari nigiri (the little fingers of rice topped with wasabi and a piece of raw fish) followed by a Love roll (Crab, cucumber and avocado topped with more avocado and shrimp) and a spicy tuna roll. Oh and a piece of a Lawrence roll and spicy shrimp nicked from Gabe's plate. *drool*

So tomorrow Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, and while I am in no way obligated by my beliefs or even my church to give something up, I find it to be a great opportunity to practice discipline and sacrifice.

Technically the Sundays during Lent aren't counted in the 40 days so some people say you can indulge on those days, but I'm not going to. Infact, I'm not sure if I'll go back to eating fish after Easter. Giving up meat completely is an act of compassion towards all living beings, so why only limit it to a mere 40 days?

My main reasons for being a pescetarian (only eating fish) are environmental. We could easily end world hunger by simply cutting back on our demand for meat. The majority of grain cultivated goes towards growing livestock when it could go to feed the malnourished. The majority of the water used in this country goes to that industry as well. Cows contribute far more methane gas to the global warming problem than cars believe it or not. The list goes on and on.

By giving up all forms of animal flesh as food I'm acknowledging and reflecting on the suffering and cruelty of living beings caused my the meat industry (fishing included).

I'm not going to push this veggie thing on you or judge you for eating meat. I'm not even going to ask you join me, but I do ask that you at least take a moment to be mindful of your food, to appreciate where it comes from and be grateful for the energy and the life given that allows you to sustain yours.

Thanks for reading. :-)

It's All In Your Head...

I spent some time yesterday thinking about suffering.

I'll admit it, I'm a little old lady- I occasionally struggle with sciatica and it was especially bad yesterday on my walk home from class. I felt a little bit like Igor dragging my foot behind me.
I know, I'm being over-dramatic...but you get the point.

But it got me thinking- what is suffering really?

We toss that word around sometimes without thinking. Suffering, for me, is nothing compared to the suffering of someone in say a conflict-ridden area of Africa.

But is there a hierarchy of suffering? Is my pain any less valid because of what I was born into?

Is the mental suffering many of us Americans struggle with less valid than the physical suffering of those in third-world countries?

I want to alleviate suffering. To devote my life to bringing peace to those around me.
Africa might be a bit hard for me to help all by myself at this point in my life.
So I'll start with an ice pack and my good friends and work from there.