POLITICS: Re: Any difference between vegan activists & right-to-lifers?

[Guest guest]

> > http://www.paralysis.org/ActiveLiving/ActiveLivingList.cfm?c=115

>

> > Reeves is maybe an example of the OTHER extreme from

> > the activists ... well, he was an activist of sorts

> > but willing to experiment on himself, wherever that led.

>

> Heidi, I particularly liked this part of the Reeve piece you cited:

>

> " There are also going to be times in life when living fearlessly is

> very simple. One of the first things that happened after surviving

> my surgery was that I lost my finesse. My social skills went down

> the drain. I realized that social skills are, to a large extent,

> mini-lies. Now when someone asks me a question, I have learned to

> tell the truth because, really, what the hell do I have to lose?

>

> My father, who was a writer for his entire life, said to me at one

> point, " Why don't we work on writing your life story and write it

> together? " Before my injury, I would have said, " Uh, that's

> interesting. Let me think about that. " Instead I said, " Never in a

> million years. There is no way I could write the truth about my

> childhood. "

>

> Remove the self-censorship. It saves a lot of time. My motto now

is:

> Tell the truth faster. If you think about this, it goes a long way.

> It may upset some people, but you're really helping everybody out

by

> not faking it. "

> http://www.paralysis.org/ActiveLiving/ActiveLivingList.cfm?c=115

>

> A lot of amazing stuff happens when you've had a set-back. I'm

lucky

> enough to be coming out the other end of mine seemingly intact and

> now going through a sort of " processing stage " where virtually

every

> belief I've ever had is being reevaluated. I feel closer to some

> core truths (whatever that means) and now life seems a heck of a

lot

> simpler as a result. It's great.

>

> Even my complaints about food activists are solely based on the

fact

> that they're whittling down my food choices. Food should not be

> political.

>

> And oddly enough my original post on this subject stemmed from the

> fact that I considered joining a meditation retreat (something I'd

> not done before) and it required a few days stay; When I saw the

> notice that only vegetarian meals were provided I felt provoked. By

> a long shot, this is not the first time I've been confronted with

> this vegetarian thing around here...

>

> By the way, I live on the county line between Marin and Sonoma

> Counties in northern California. About 8 miles inland from the

ocean

> and 30 miles north of San Francisco.

>

> ~Robin Ann

robin ann, yes, but telling the truth can be cruel...and i honestly

think that if we can manage to tell the truth with all the love in us

we can muster...then MAYBE it's okay.

but just to tell the truth...i just don't think that's always a good

idea as that can be devastating.

for example...telling a parent who is in old age and failing, how

they have failed you as a parent...it's the truth, and it might be

what you've always wanted to say, and you might not have been able to

say it when the aging parent was younger, for whatever reason,

because now you are ready to say it and wanting, maybe desperately to

say it...but you have to think about how it will affect other people.

sometimes it's just better to talk to an objective third party...or

to God himself, and look for the healing there.

this is just an example.

truth telling is great if it helps the person being told the truth,

in a kind, loving and compassionate manner...but if it will only hurt

the person, i believe it's better to keep it in and tell someone else.

just my opinion.

laura