Whole or Hole Foods?

On Friday evening I headed out into the wild streets of Baltimore to get some dinner fix-ins.  It was an adventure slipping through the hustle and bustle of the city.  People were out.  They were all dressed up.  They were all looking to have a good time.  I was out looking for food.  Good whole food.  

The nearest market to the boat is Whole Foods.  The corner it sits o

n is busy and surrounded by clothing shops, shoe stores and fancy restaurants.  When you walk in the smell of food hits you hard and you instantly crave everything they have to offer.  Hanging from the ceiling is a chalkboard sign.  It reads: Number of Organic Items Today - 209.  It hasn't changed in the three weeks I have been here.  I take off my back pack and grab a little black basket and begin my search.  I started in the produce department.  An overly stocked corner with organic and traditional fruits and veggies.  The signage is hard to follow and the organic is hard to find.  Everything is labeled as to what kind of fruit it is and where it comes from.  Only generically speaking.  USA, California, Mexico.  nothing directly from the east.  I was in search primarily for Dandelion Greens.  So I asked the clerk stocking oranges.  He led me to the packaged herb section and really had no idea what I was talking about.  He wanted to grab someone who knew, I told him not to worry about it.  So i kept looking.  I got some spinach.  (not in season)  I got a garnet yam from California.  As opposed to the jewel yam from the US.  I grabbed some snow peas, which was bad because they came all way from Chile.  And finally found the Dandelion Greens from California.  

After getting my produce I wandered around, looking at everything.  I began to feel a little lost and overwhelmed.  My brain was thinking about everything which was passing in front of me.  The "organic" farm companies who are producing and packaging all these products on a massive scale.  The false awareness the store offers.  The dull apathy which consumes the consumers.  Frustrated by the lack of local and irritated with all the plastic and pretension of the packaged foods I took the veggies I had and headed to the self check out counter.  I picked up the Mother Jones magazine as impulse.  I saw the farm girl cartoon on the front cover with the caption "Let's Grow America". I made my purchase, packed everything up in my back pack and left.  

Instead of feeling whole I felt hole.  There was a void.  There was something lacking.  My simple purchase took so much energy.  My simple diet was stifled by the amount of oil and time it took to get it to the box store and then into my bowl.  I learned many lessons.  While walking back to the boat I passed all the party people and felt above it all.  I had fresh greens on my back.  They has cigarettes in their hands and alcohol waiting inside. 

The life of the lonely hippy.  The life of the girl who strives to live simply and purely.  It's all worth it in the end.