Happy Healthy Long Life

The Capital T-TRUTH about Life Before Death. The Simple Awareness of What's Real & Essential. The Wisdom of the Late David Foster Wallace

2013-05-18T08:10:58-07:00

"But of course there are all different kinds of freedom, and the kind that is most precious you will not hear much talk about in the great outside world of "wanting and achieving".

The really important kind of freedom involves attention and awareness and discipline, and being able truly to care about other people and to sacrifice for them over and over in myriad petty, unsexy ways every day.

That is real freedom. That is being educated, and understanding how to think.

The alternative is unconsciousness, the default setting [our hard-wired belief that we are the center of the universe], the rat race, the constant gnawing sense of having had, and lost, some infinite thing.

What it is, as far as I can see, is the capital-T Truth, with a whole lot of rhetorical niceties stripped away. None of this stuff is really about morality or religion or dogma or big fancy questions of life after death.

The capital-T Truth is about life BEFORE death.

It is about the real value of a real education, which has almost nothing to do with knowledge, and everything to do with simple awareness; awareness of what is so real and essential, so hidden in plain sight all around us, all the time, that we have to keep reminding ourselves over and over:

"This is water." "This is water."

It is unimaginably hard to do this, to stay conscious and alive in the adult world day in and day out. Which means yet another grand cliché turns out to be true: your education really IS the job of a lifetime. And it commences: now.

I wish you way more than luck.

--David Foster Wallace, May 21, 2005, delivered at the Kenyon College commencement--

I don't know how I missed this extraordinary speech.

Before this morning, I had no idea of who the late David Foster Wallace was---and I owe that discovery to Trent Gillis of "On Being", who shared this video excerpt of Wallace's Kenyon commencement speech today. Maybe you've already seen this video. At least 4 million others have viewed it since it appeared just this month. I'm late to this party.

It seriously sidetracked me from everything I promised myself I'd do this morning. At least I made my bed! Oh well. Such is life. Delicious detours aplenty. Always!

Turns out, Wallace was a brilliant, award-winning, promising writer. A professor at Pomona College, who tragically died much too young at the age of 46, by taking his own life.

I'm still trying to get my head around how to reconcile the "well-adjusted" wisdom of his message to the Kenyon graduates, with the tragedy of his own depression, emotional distress, alcoholism, and eventual suicide. If anything, maybe it's an example of the message he was trying to get across to his audience:

"Get out of your own story, and pay attention to the people around you. Have patience, compassion, understanding. Everyone has a story--and baggage--not only you!"

Perhaps, he spoke about what he most wanted to practice in his own life. Teach what you want to learn.

"People who can adjust their natural default setting this way are often described as being "well-adjusted", which I suggest to you is not an accidental term.

Given the triumphant academic setting here, an obvious question is how much of this work of adjusting our default setting involves actual knowledge or intellect.

This question gets very tricky. Probably the most dangerous thing about an academic education -- least in my own case -- is that it enables my tendency to over-intellectualize stuff, to get lost in abstract argument inside my head, instead of simply paying attention to what is going on right in front of me, paying attention to what is going on inside me.

If you saw the Cleveland Clinic "Empathy" video--you'll know exactly what Wallace is talking about--"Standing Inside Someone Else's Shoes".

In spite of his difficult life & tragic death, his words still ring powerfully true to my own "post-commencement" life experiences, and for that reason I want to share them.

This video is based on the abridged version of his commencement speech. It's some of the best life advice I've seen.

If you don't see the video on your screen, click here.

THIS IS WATER - By David Foster Wallace from The Glossary on Vimeo.

If you'd like to read the full transcript of David Foster Wallace's speech, you'll find it here.

Definitely a worthwhile read.

There's lots to think about here. Worthy of many repeat viewings.

Friday Night Dinner & a Movie. "Enlightened Bulgur with Swiss Chard, Chickpeas & Feta", My New Love Affair with Whole Soy & Company's Plain Unsweetened Yogurt, Kale Chips-at-the-Movies, and the French Film "The Other Son"

2013-04-20T10:56:45-07:00

Martha Rose Shulman's Bulgur with Swiss Chard, Chickpeas & Feta

Last Night's "Enlightened" Bulgur with Swiss Chard, Chickpeas & Feta

If you received this post via email or you're viewing it on a smartphone, click here, to get to the web version with all the links, the video & to leave a comment. I LOVE & appreciate comments!!

I first tried Martha Rose Shulman's "Bulgur with Swiss Chard, Chickpeas & Feta" three years. It was an instant winner at our house. I was easily able to ditch the olive oil--but ditching the feta cheese is another story. I anxiously await the arrival of a reasonably-priced plant-milk feta! It won't be long, don't you think?

I tried the recipe with a homemade feta made with tofu. Meh! I tried to convince myself it was a fine substitute. It wasn't.

I tried the recipe with the Tree of Life's Smoked Tofu. Again, it was Meh!

So, this is one of those "3 or 4" times a year I choose to enjoy this dish the way it's meant to be made--with feta (even if I do use the reduced-fat kind).

OK--I know many of you may disapprove, or be "tsk tsk tsking". But, I LOVE this easy-to-make tasty dish. I'm perfectly comfortable enjoying my less-than-an-ounce of feta cheese 3 or 4 times a year. The last time I made it was in November.

Gorgeous Swiss Chard at the Grocery Yesterday

I couldn't resist the giant leaves of organic Swiss Chard at the grocery store yesterday. Dinner!

Aha! The perfect occasion for "Enlightened Swiss Chard, Chickpeas & Feta". I snagged a 3.5 ounce package of reduced-fat feta from the cheese display, & some fresh dill weed. Chickpeas & bulgur are pantry staples. Didn't need any more.

So, there you have it. My occasional treat. And the Lab Rat & I thoroughly enjoyed our dinner. I can't wait for the left-overs for lunch today.

Find the recipe on one page here

The Salad Course with Soy Yogurt Thousand Island Dressing

If you've been reading my Face Book page (& I sure hope you are--because that's where I'm mostly posting these days) you know I've gone absolutely Ga Ga over Whole Soy & Company's Plain Unsweetened Yogurt.

It's become kind of like Manna to me. It works as a delicious breakfast, savory-style with roasted garbanzos, herbs, & veggies---or sweet-style mixed with thawed berries, jelled with chia or sprinkled with some homemade no-oil cocoa almond cherry granola, or half of a Cranberry Heart Thrive.

You can even turn it into a thick Greek-style yogurt if you mix 1 1/2 tablespoons of chia into a cup of yogurt & let it sit for 5-10 minutes.

It makes a hearty lunch salad when mixed with tamari-roasted rosemary chickpeas, roasted potatoes, red peppers, cukes, red pepper flakes, black pepper, dill, & lemon zest. The seasoning & add-in options are endless. It's like a low-fat mayo that you can flavor anyway you like. Chipotle, Southwestern, Curried, Greek, Italian, Ranch Dressing anyone? Maybe too tangy for an Asian variety.

Soy Yogurt Thousand Island Dressing

Makes 8 servings - 2 tablespoons each

Makes 1 cup of dressing or sandwich spread

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Recipe on one page is here:

Ingredients:

2/3 cup of plain unsweetened soy yogurt
1 garlic clove, smashed or 1/4 teaspoon of granulated garlic
1 tablespoon of mustard (yellow or Dijon) I use Dijon
3 tablespoons of low-sodium ketchup
2 tablespoons of pickle relish
1 tablespoon of fresh chopped dill (or 1 teaspoon of dried dill) More, to taste

Instructions:

1. Mix everything together in a small bowl. No need for a blender.

2. Taste, add more dill or a little salt to taste.

My New Manna - Plain Unsweetened Soy Yogurt is a Game-Changing Recipe Changer! Viva the Possibilities!

Works for breakfast, lunch, as a salad dressing or as a mayo. For tangier salad dressings, or curries--Goodbye high-fat cashew cream or silken tofu--Hello Soy Yogurt!

No more half-used boxes of silken tofu in the fridge that I can't use up within the 2 day "throw away" date.

And don't forget the probiotic benefits of the live cultures. L. Pantarum LM, L. Acidophilus, B Bifidum, L. Bulgaricus, & S. Thermophilus. A minimum of 20 Billion Total CFUs per serving.

Vegan. Casein, Whey, Lactose & Gluten-Free. Organic. Non-GMO.

Did I mention the protein? 10 grams per cup.

Hey, folks, I never could eat dairy yogurt because of the lactose--so this is a real treat for me!

The Savory Mediterranean Breakfast/Lunch Combo with Tamari-Roasted Garbanzos, Veggies, & Chia (add Oven-Roasted Potatoes, Too)

Oil-Free Oven-Roasted Tamari Rosemary Garbanzos--A New Staple At My House

I make a double-batch of these every week to mix into my Savory Mediterranean Yogurt Breakfast/Lunch. Add in peppers, chia, tomatoes, tiny sliced gourmet cucumbers, dill, Penzey's Lemon Zest, red pepper flakes, & fresh black pepper. Whatever! You won't believe how delicious & filling this is!! Or sprinkle on salads. Eat 'em straight-up.

Recipe for the Oil-Free Oven-Roasted Tamari Rosemary Garbanzos is here.

What a Breakfast! What a Lunch!

Soy Yogurt with Crumbled "Fruit & Nut Manna Bread" & Chia, Of Course

Soy Yogurt with Canned Chickpeas, Cukes, Tomatoes, Peppers, Dill & Pepper

Soy Yogurt with Thawed Frozen Berries, Chia & 1/2 of a Cranberry Heart Thrive

Soy Yogurt with Homemade Cocoa Almond Cherry Granola & Berries

Recipe for the Cocoa Almond Cherry (or Cranberry) Granola is here.

And Now for Last Night's Movie, "The Other Son"

If you don't see the video on your screen, click here!

I missed this poignant, heart-wrenching, thought-provoking French film when it appeared in theaters last Fall. It arrived in the mail via NetFlix on Thursday--the perfect film for our "Friday Night Dinner & a Movie Night".

As parents of two sons, the Lab Rat & I found this film to be painful & unnerving to watch---but we were riveted by the impossible story line.

Two sons, one an Israeli, one a Palestinian, mistakenly switched at birth, raised in two loving homes--worlds & cultures apart. The mistake is discovered when the boys turn 18, & only because of the genetic impossibility of the blood type that turns up on a routine Army physical. Lives change in an instant.

One can only imagine the life-changing difficulties of such a discovery--for the parents & the young men.

The film is now availble via NetFlix or YouTube.

I don't want to give too much away, but here's a capsule summary:

'"The Other Son" is the moving and provocative tale of two young men -- one Israeli, the other Palestinian -- who discover they were accidentally switched at birth, and the complex repercussions facing them and their respective families.

As he is preparing to join the Israeli army for his national service, Joseph discovers he is not his parents' biological son, and that he was inadvertently switched at birth with Yacine, the son of a Palestinian family from the West Bank. This revelation turns the lives of these two families upside-down, forcing them to reassess their respective identities, their values and their beliefs."

As Frederic & Mary Ann Brussat, my favorite, most reliable film reviewers explain:

'"The Other Son" waters the seeds of empathy in our hearts as we ponder the miracles that can happen when we walk a mile in another person's shoes and truly desire to understand the broader context of another's life. The film also tutors us in the art of listening." Their full review is here.

Find the New York Times review, here.

Our Movie Snack: Good-Bye "Good & Plenty" -- Hello, Lab Rat Grown & Made Kale Chips

Kale is Growing in Our Backyard Now! Hello, Kale Chips

Kale Chips Quickly Devoured at our "Friday Night at the Movies"

The Basic Recipe:

1. 2 bunches of kale (any kind--we used Russian & Lacinato Kale yesterday

2. 1/2 cup of cashews

3. 1 juiced lemon

4. 2-3 TBS of cider vinegar

5. About 1/3 to 1/2 cup of nutritional yeast (sorry for the loosey, goosey amounts)

5. 1/2 cup water mixed in a high-power blender, then massaged into chopped kale.

6. The Lab Rat sprinkles on "Bone Suckin' Sauce Seasoning & Rub" for added zest before the kale is dried.

7. We have a small dehydrator that we use to make the kale chips. Follow your own dehydrator directions. Ours were ready in about 4 hours, dried at 115 degrees F. Check the web for oven-baking directions.