Humility: changing perspectives.


"A light bulb went off in my head. Of course, composting is an act of humility. The people who care enough about the earth to recycle their personal by-products do so as an exercise in humility, and not because they're going to get rich and famous for it. That makes them better people. Some people go to church on Sunday, others make compost. Still others do both. Others go to church on Sunday, then throw all their garbage out into the environment. The exercising of the human spirit can take many forms, and the simple act of cleaning up after oneself is one of them. Carelessly dumping waste out into the world is a self-centered act of arrogance. "

- Chapter 4, Humanure Handbook

Source: The Humanure Handbook. Jenkins Publishing, PO Box 607, Grove City, PA 16127. To order, phone: 1-800-639-4099. Jenkins Publishing

We all know the personal byproducts that Jenkins is referring, if not, it is the human waste that most of us in the United States and Canada flush down the toilet on a daily basis. Joseph Jenkins, in his book, The Humanure Handbook shows us how we can recycle the material that is often considered to be the end of the food chain, the step after the table. We can change this practice by viewing our perosnal by-products not as disgusting waste but life-giving resources. In fact, we can view our by-products as our contribution to the cycle of Life, or, perhaps put a better way, one of our contributions. Our contribution has many uses and if you think about it it is a natural process which enables you to give with little or no effort, providing you maintain a healthy diet.

All that is required is that we change our perception of the material that leaves our bodies through the processes of digestion and elimination as being a natural human byproduct that can feed the soil that feeds us, rather than being disgusted by its existence. Perhaps, it is time to grow up and take responsibility for all that we do. Change our attitudes so that we see a resource product rather than a waste one and make a real contributions to the balance of Life. We can then become part of Life's cycle, rather than existing as something apart; as the solution rather than being the problem

The copyright of the article Humility: changing perspectives. in From Field To Table is owned by Bob Ewing. Permission to republish Humility: changing perspectives. in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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