Deep-fried cereal and humanity

My head was hurting, my heart was pounding, my mind was reeling when I found this awful bad-information story on Yahoo! news about the latest food sensation showing up at county fairs across this land is  your land: deep fried cereal

OMGOMGOMG.

As I shared this story on my FB page, I couldn't quit feeling overwhelmed, duped and mistrustful of planet Earth and the entirety of humanity.

Despite everything we know about obesity, diabetes and food addiction, we are still INVENTING NEW CONCOCTIONS made of sugar, fat, flour and deep-frying, which might as well be arsenic laced with DDT. What.is.up.with.this?

I was so upset that I thought to start a new FB page entitled "What's Wrong With America Today."
I even typed in the words and sat looking at them.

And then I saw a post scroll by on the news feed: Twenty-one pictures that will restore your faith in humanity.

It was posted by a young woman named Emily who lives around the corner from me.  I see her outside sometimes. She always waves. Despite the wheelchair she is in because of cerebral palsy, I see her about town in other places, sometimes with the dog she just got who is a lead dog for people in wheelchairs: She even came to my most recent photo exhibit. She also just shaved her head in support of children's cancer research.

I switched screens to see that link she posted.

And I found myself moving from the heat and anger of that awful bad-information story to joy, compassion and utter humility at the depth of humanity. I cried four times, not in despair, but with joy, looking at these pictures that so touched my friend, Emily, a woman who has had more than her fine share of suffering.

There's a lot of icky ugly stuff in this world and this ridiculous flap with Chic-Fil-A is some of it. The whole thing -- all of it -- makes me sick to my stomach.

But there is also so much joy in this world.

Like seeing Emily with her new dog.

And the face of Abby Greer in Kent, Oh, last night when TimeBank gave back to HER.

Like the macrobiotic dish Abby spent hours collecting ingredients for, then making for me, for last night's potluck.

And the community-- including the Mama carp herself --  that rallied around me when I had to make this really scary, really daunting macrobiotic fish stew -- head, tail, guts and all - last week to help strengthen my blood.

Like the fact that I get to go to the Farmer's Market to buy Thrive sushi this morning.

And the six-week yoga program I committed to taking under the tutelage of my friend Cheril Walker starting in a couple of weeks.

Like that stunning split by Gabby Douglas in the USA gymnast competition this past week

And the fact that Aug. 15 is the 25th wedding anniversary of one of the most heroic married couples on the face of this planet

Like the fact that all three products of that marriage are in town today.

And that the sun has risen yet again on another day in my life.

Aren't these the feelings I want to spend my time concentrating on? Aren't these the things I want to spread around in my world? Why, yes, muse, I believe they are!

Will I never rant again? Doubtful. But is finding and sharing rants really the way I want to spend my time?

Nah, nope, not.

I am looking today, Aug. 4, 2012, to see what's right with this world in which we live.

Stay tuned. Better yet, join me?