I don't know about the rest of you, but I've always felt that we as Americans waste our land. The American Dream has taught us that we should strive for a home in the suburbs with a nice back yard for our kids to play in. That's a nice thought, but it's something I feel is utterly pointless. The rich people around here buy a bunch of land, turn plop a house on it, and seclude themselves away from their neighbors. Ok, fine, you can do whatever you want with your own land but what's the point of having all that grass? Because it's pretty to look at? Why not throw a few cows or sheep on the land so you can at least get some milk out of the deal? Plant a large garden. Turn it into a mini-farm. Make the land work for you since you're paying taxes on it anyway.
My own hometown is like this. Pure suburbia with row after row of homes with a front yard, and a back yard, and the home set a few dozen paces off of the street. Somehow we've convinced ourselves that this is the ideal setup. Nevermind that the homes only have a few yards of space between them, we've convinced ourselves that this is our castle, our fortress of solitude. Why? Why not build the homes closer together, create more space, and plant large gardens that will actually give you fresh ingredients to eat instead of spending thousands of dollars at the supermarket every year? I've always felt this way, but watching an episode of No Reservations on Sardinia tonight kind of reinforced it. I want to raise pigs and turn them into yummy prosciutto. I want to grow my own tomatoes and berries and everything else. Damn the kids and their backyard, they can walk the few blocks to the park.
Does anyone else feel this way? Maybe it's just because I'm a foodie, but American food culture to me blows, and I think much of it has to do with the distance that most Americans have from their food. There's a disconnect when all you see is row after row of neatly displayed produce at the supermarket. Boring.
My own hometown is like this. Pure suburbia with row after row of homes with a front yard, and a back yard, and the home set a few dozen paces off of the street. Somehow we've convinced ourselves that this is the ideal setup. Nevermind that the homes only have a few yards of space between them, we've convinced ourselves that this is our castle, our fortress of solitude. Why? Why not build the homes closer together, create more space, and plant large gardens that will actually give you fresh ingredients to eat instead of spending thousands of dollars at the supermarket every year? I've always felt this way, but watching an episode of No Reservations on Sardinia tonight kind of reinforced it. I want to raise pigs and turn them into yummy prosciutto. I want to grow my own tomatoes and berries and everything else. Damn the kids and their backyard, they can walk the few blocks to the park.
Does anyone else feel this way? Maybe it's just because I'm a foodie, but American food culture to me blows, and I think much of it has to do with the distance that most Americans have from their food. There's a disconnect when all you see is row after row of neatly displayed produce at the supermarket. Boring.
"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat
-Frederick Bastiat
