Flew shot is a weekly recap and highlight of my podcasts as well as a curation of posts and blogs I find interesting.
Immunization Records:
Each previous Flew Shot is linked here so that you can easily find them and see, read or hear what you may have missed.
- π Flew Shot - Weekly Steemit #Bulletin no. 7 π₯ π€
[What I'm listening to while creating this post - Mark Farina - Ministry of Sound Sessions]
Today's topic, "In The Interest of Truth".
I decided to go with something spiritually uplifting to listen to while writing this. I'm not even sure that I'll get this post done today, but I would like to begin plugging away at it while things are fresh on my mind...
...It's now Saturday. I told ya! Let me start with the thing that is most heavy on my mind today. As of yesterday.
(BTW, I'm listening to the same mix I pasted the link to yesterday while typing. I actually thought it was @msp-waves for a sec and asked in the audience chat what track we were listening to on #SteeMix since I went AFK for a bit and ate one of Bud's delicious coconut oil brownies. Lol, π.)
I'd been chatting it up with @wwf all week about some pressing issues here on the #EHO homestead. Rob is a homesteader and someone whom I have looked to as a spiritual leader of sorts. He's a good example of leading by example in many respects concerning life, liberty and a true and genuine pursuit of a happiness which I believe can only be attained by finding your own balanced walk through life. It is a walk which my wife, Mary, and I and our children have worked diligently and often painfully to find from within ourselves, one and other and the many beautiful human beings whom we've been blessed to be connected or been exposed to along the way. People such as @wwf, Dayna Martin, Zero Waste Home, Annie Leonard, Dr. Mercola and Dr. Russell Blaylock. Some I have conversed with, some I have yet to. Either way, their ideas and practices have touched my family's and many friends' lives and in many ways helped to keep us searching for answers and seeking truth.
Truth is a difficult subject for everyone of us. I know, I've dealt with demons and bones of my own time and time again. I know I can write for Mary when I say so has she. The last year of our lives has been a tumultuous and immensely arduous one. From the passing of my father-in-law and Mary's Grandma to Losing our rental assistance just before I finished my senior year in college. With a 4.0 and honors nonetheless. Couple that with PTSD, me, and epilepsy, Mary; and two kids in tow. Oh yeah then the guy who was clearly sleeping at the wheel wrecked our only vehicle while we were between places with stuff in storage.
Look, I'm not bitching here. I'm painting as clear a picture as I can because I think it makes a difference when those who are genuinely concerned about someone know as much of the circumstances as objectively as humanly possible. Sympathy and empathy are tricky, probably exclusively, human emotions. And nostalgia. Mary and I heard a radio show today about nostalgia which helped really focus my perspective.
So back to homesteading. I was brought into the fold of an entity we have come to know as #EHO, or Eye Heart Organic. I was given a title of Zero Waste Coach and asked to bring my expertise in marketing and promotions, my knack to articulate by way of written word. I was asked to direct the company's practices and protocols along the platform of Zero Waste because Mary and I were well on our way to 100% living in a two bedroom apartment with two kids and living a great deal on-the-go. We shopped at mainstream supermarkets most of the time. We became minimalists to some extent in that we decluttered our living space as a courtesy to our children whom we had agreed to raise mostly along the lines of #unschooling and #peacefulparenting; and certainly #unvaxxed.
π
I was outspoken and became quite popular on campus with staff, faculty and the student body. I was VP of Phi Theta Kappa and received the highest transfer scholarship OCC had to offer in 2015. I wrote award winning papers and gave talks. I'm not tooting my horn, promise. There's a reason for you to understand this if you care to. Mary was my backbone and most crucial support. My children, Lily and Marley were and still are my primary motivation for what I do.
Mary's and my partner here on the homestead and micro-farm, Mark, is an old friend of mine. We kicked it in the Rave scene for a while years ago until my incarceration in 2011 and became close. All these years later he was watching my academic career progress admiring the work I was doing and learning many new ideas about our world and some of the ways we can improve the quality of the human condition through awareness, education and practice. I had even started a talk show podcast, while in college, as a platform for sharing my family's endeavor; on which @wwf was one of my earliest guests.
Mary's family owns five acres of beautiful farmable land surrounded by woods and miles of nature where we intended, still do, to move and homestead and transition to a fully sustainable, off-grid, low-stress lifestyle with our family. Profiting from the food we grow there is not something we planned to do. We want to operate as a semi-public experimental agricultural and education center. We even want to train as doulas and have a child-birthing area for moms who want to have their babies among nature in peace.
So, Mark asked me to come live in Massachusetts and help him get #EHO off the ground as an organic agricultural co-op with a farm-stand and Zero Waste store. He said he and his family wanted to start learning and practicing Zero Waste and practicing a healthier lifestyle since the #EHO vision is to create a lifestyle brand along those lines. Mary and I discussed it. We didn't exactly have a plan other than I was going to go to grad school in NJ, for which I had a full ride and job waiting for me, and Mary and the kids would go south and begin homesteading with me visiting in the summer months and winter break as we'd already started doing to some extent. I figured why not take this opportunity to learn, make a living and for me to go to a tier one national research university instead; UMASS is a 20 minute drive.
Seemed a solid plan, the property where #EHO sits is perfect for this. I may have pressured Mary a bit but at the end of the day she liked the idea and was willing to support me knowing I wouldn't put her and the kids in harm's way. One of the pros is that cannabis is legal here and we were plugged into some serious expert cultivators and, for Mary, this is a bare bones necessity to keep her from encountering excruciating arthritic pain and epileptic seizures resulting form vaccine injuries when she was a child. That and me battling chronic PTSD are two important reasons we have adopted the lifestyle we did. We both have debilitating symptoms when exacerbated by unhealthy diet, high stress situations and toxins, neuro or otherwise, in our environment.
Well, here we are almost a year since we decided to begin manifesting the vision of #EHO together. Understaffed, highly underfunded, ridiculously stressed, terribly behind with bills, and falling short in many ways when it comes to encompassing the lifestyle Mary and I and our children are so passionate about and that Mark dreamed of when envisioning the #EHO brand. And yet there is a reason why I'm going on about this. Bare with me, almost done.
Last week, Mary and I felt we reached a breaking point. Not that we wanted to give up on the idea of homesteading and sustainability. Quite the opposite. We'd seen what it was like to do it under stressful conditions having to take many steps backwards in our lifestyles due to sharing a household with a family whom had not done their own spiritual walk towards things like Zero Waste and sustainability just yet and was doing some proverbial foot-dragging. I said there would be truth here and that is never pretty. I'm not judging nor pointing fingers. I'm also a big boy and realize that my decisions are my own and I should not be apologetic for embracing that which settles my mind, body and soul.
I also recognize that relationships and partnerships take sacrifices and compromises. Mary and I have learned that numerous times and still struggle with it here and there. We're struggling now because we know what we want is what's best for Lily and Marley and every other one of their peers. We cannot help but be constantly reminded that we were asked to help shape and mold a brand for the sake of spreading awareness, education and promoting health and wellness through lifestyle and practices and protocols which we have studied and on some levels mastered.
If leading by example is the way, I am failing. And for that I am sorry. I am a man. I believe I am driven by some greater moral compass outside of myself and all I can do is move forward with the best of intention.
Today is my older daughter Lily's birthday. She turned eight. Yesterday @wwf delegated Steem Power to me and welcomed me into the fold of Stewards of Terra Mater.
His words exactly, "I would be honored if you wrote about what we have talked about. I'll delegate some steem to you as well as you are working on the principles outlined by the Stewards of Terra Mater. That should help drive traffic to your blog as well"
My words exactly, " I have a LONG way to go".
He then typed, "It is not the destination my friend. It is the journey. You are working on being a Steward of Terra Mater (Mother Earth) and you demonstrate that with your efforts. Welcome to the team".
π
I think the real stewards of Terra Matter are my children. Not just mine, ours. All of ours. Before I get to this week's wrap up and curation, I'd like to tell you something I noticed today. We have chickens here now. I'll show you pictures of them during Eye Heart News tomorrow. They're free-range, except at night. Since having moved onto this property We've found a lot of little pieces of plastic garbage that finds its way around the property. Today I profoundly put two and two together about how birds and marine life are literally dying and it became painfully obvious that our chickens could easily be harmed by our carelessness.
Last thing, I promise. I would like you to help me start a hashtag campaign all over social media. Starting with Steemit of course. @andrea432 and @jsf, a husband and wife Steemian power couple, have been so gracious as to lend their graphic design expertise to a project I am expected to develop and direct here at #EHO. Andrea was a guest on my Monday podcast last week and we talked about why she felt compelled to create this amazing piece of marketing and help put the event together as best she could. This is my first reveal to the public and Mark.
The hashtag is #askfornoplastic. I realize that we all need to start somewhere and that everything in life is quite literally a journey. And for a journey to commence one must begin with one foot forward, followed by the other. Life can be hustle and bustle for many of us in the western world and we often find ourselves engaging in consumerism for the sake of convenience. Believe me, I get it!
#askfornoplastic is a reminder that when you order food to be delivered to you or stop to grab a bite to go somewhere during your day to day, you be conscious of packaging and request no straws, no plastic or Styrofoam containers, no plastic cutlery. Mary and I became accustomed to carrying our own containers, reusable bags and even silverware with us when we are out and about. We're that weird couple in love that brings our own glass containers to Annie's Ice Cream Shack when we're hankering for some death by chocolate.
It's a bit awkward the first time, but we are always met with smiles and I know our actions are having an impact on at least one of those high school kids making our sundaes in our glass containers and remembering each time not to give us cutlery or a bag. I think it makes us kinda cool!
Phew...! That was a screen-full wasn't it.
Steemians Unite!
In this section I curate fellow Steemians and their blogs which I find interesting or important enough to follow and urge you to do so. This is unlike other curation posts in that I do not point out specific posts, but showcase the blogger and their activity on the platform and whichever Discord servers I may have seen them active in.
I know very little about @blackliberal except that his posts are friggin' awesome. It was his The importance of TRUTH post that got me thinking to write the way I did above. I think that without truth and honesty, it becomes increasingly difficult to fully garner compassion which I believe is at the root of a healthy well balanced life. Life is all about relationships with ourselves, each other and the entire ecosystem.
@wakeupnd is a Steemian I only came across this week. Talk about truth! Here is a blogger who pulls no punches. I see that this blogger participates in the #informationwar tag here on Steemit and so far I've seen posts from him on topics such as psychotropic medications and anti-vaccines. A steemian after my own heart. I decided to follow on FB too since I do pop in there and scroll the newsfeed for information.
And now for this week's wrap-up.
Last week's shows
- π β€οΈ π° [Eye Heart News] 6/11/2018 ft. @andrea432 @masterroshi @asonintrigue
If you would like to be on my podcast on MSP Waves any Monday please reach out via Discord - Movement19#0266.
This Tuesday's guest is Joey Angerone. A filmmaker who excels in his art form as well as talented musician and songwriter who is a really close friend of mine and someone I've had the honor to work and earn IMDB credits with.
I have come into some Whaleshares to giveaway during my podcasts. I'll award 5 for each trivia question or contest during either of my shows. Thanks to @seveaux for that!
Peeps, Places N Tings...
Here is a list of some of the steem blogs I've been following and upvoting regularly. Perhaps you might find something of interest among them and help them generate value as well. If so, be sure to leave them meaningful comments and resteem.
@karinxxl - Venezuela needs your vote guys! Lets go! This is part of @pennsifs Dollar A Day initiative.
@dukefranky - I heard him on The alternative Lifestyles Show on MSP Waves yesterday and would like to have him on my show as well. Check out The Greens to see what he has going on here on Steemit.
@ghscollective - Global Homestead Collective. Need I say more?
@awesomehomestead - From homeless to homestead, were making our dreams come true. Please check out this post which truly touched and moved me.
Lastly, perhaps most importantly, please take the time to read this amazing post from @wwf.
π Thank you for your continued support β.
Your contributions help keep the #EHO homestead afloat as well as fund my personal fight against the War on "Drugs".
Thanks for the mention man! Yeah we have to think about the bigger picture a little bit more often. Think about others and what of a difference we can make!
Love it that you also found @blackliberal post. He writes so unbiased from the heart about very difficult topics. This guy should end up in politics to make an actual change. For real
Damn you're a fast reader! Thanks for the comment. See you around Discord perhaps?
Ginabot helps with those mentions ;)
Curiosity takes the better of me then hahahaha, all of a sudden I turn into rocket speed.
Yes discord for sure man!
Hi @movement19! You are a hardcore blogger! That is a very detailed post. It's great to connect! I am also a Steward of Terra Mater βππ π
I am happy to know you! Thanks for taking the time to read.
Congratulations! This post has been upvoted from the communal account, @minnowsupport, by Movement19 from the Minnow Support Project. It's a witness project run by aggroed, ausbitbank, teamsteem, theprophet0, someguy123, neoxian, followbtcnews, and netuoso. The goal is to help Steemit grow by supporting Minnows. Please find us at the Peace, Abundance, and Liberty Network (PALnet) Discord Channel. It's a completely public and open space to all members of the Steemit community who voluntarily choose to be there.
If you would like to delegate to the Minnow Support Project you can do so by clicking on the following links: 50SP, 100SP, 250SP, 500SP, 1000SP, 5000SP.
Be sure to leave at least 50SP undelegated on your account.
Upvoted from the whaleshares show!
Thank you!
This post has received a 5.17 % upvote from @booster thanks to: @movement19.
At some point in the not to distant future we are planning on packing it up and moving somewhere that is a lot slower pace than where we currently are. We use to be "out in the country" but the city followed us out here and it just isn't the same anymore.
I look forward to the day that we will be homesteading and enjoy reading about others who have already opted for that lifestyle. Not real familiar with the Zero Waste movement but I can agree that plastics are a big pain for animals for sure.
Very cool curations. Glad I was able to find this. Thanks for the pointers.
Glad you liked it!
You got a 2.22% upvote from @oceanwhale With 35+ Bonus Upvotes courtesy of @movement19! Delegate us Steem Power & get 100%daily rewards Payout! 20 SP, 50, 75, 100, 150, 200, 300, 500,1000 or Fill in any amount of SP Earn 1.25 SBD Per 1000 SP | Discord server
You got a 3.67% upvote from @brupvoter courtesy of @movement19!
You got a 2.52% upvote from @upme thanks to @movement19! Send at least 3 SBD or 3 STEEM to get upvote for next round. Delegate STEEM POWER and start earning 100% daily payouts ( no commission ).
You got a 3.30% upvote from @emperorofnaps courtesy of @movement19!
Want to promote your posts too? Send 0.05+ SBD or STEEM to @emperorofnaps to receive a share of a full upvote every 2.4 hours...Then go relax and take a nap!
This is inspiring in many levels @movement19 all the energy and determination your putting in to materialize your vision, and create something that will bring wellness to your loved ones and huge awareness to many. @jsf and I are very honored to be part of this journey π β¨