Momma's concerns with the whole Earth First thing..(and detox update.)

So first things first; so far, the detox is going pretty well (I've only been up to it about half a day so far.) I'm a little hungry, and I'm peeing a lot (but then again, I normally drink tons of fluids, so I normally pee a lot,) but those are the only effects of the detox I've seen so far. I did have a funny swollen wrist for about a half hour and at first I thought it was something to do with toxins passing through that part of my body or something, but then I realized I probably just injured it climbing out of the bread dumpster tonight.

Secondly, I went to my very first Stumptown Earth First! meeting tonight...I went to a few Earth First! meetings down in Eugene Oregon way back in the day, when I was hitchhiking around the country, strung out on drugs, so I think this is the first "clean and sober" Earth First! meeting I've been to. It was fun; we sat in a living room on comfy couches and talked about the sea lions, the liquefied natural gas project that is going down, and old growth logging. I felt like there where some real, attainable things I could commit myself to without feeling too overwhelmed, which would still make a huge difference potentially. So that was nice. And, I have to say, it is really refreshing to be around men when you work/live/and go to school almost exclusively with women. And not just any men, but men who want to save the earth! How exciting is that? Where I grew up, you wouldn't be able to call yourself a man if you where into saving the earth; "real men" where I grew up spray tons of pesticides, drive dirt bikes and snowmobiles around on the weekends, laugh at organic farmers and drive the biggest truck they can afford to make payments on. Although, I have to say, my dad is a pretty Republican, pesticide loving farmer-dude and he was cheering me on, my mom said, when he heard I was going to be trying to save sea-lions with Earth First! So that is exciting!

My mom, on the other hand, isn't so sure about me involving myself with Earth First! When I called her today to wish her a happy Mother's Day, we started talking about the group and this is pretty much how that part of the conversation went:

Mom: "Is that a tree-loving group?"
Me: "Well they are radical environmentalists mom....so yeah, they love trees...tree-loving group...I love you mom! Anyway, I'm going to a meeting tonight..."
Mom: "Just don't do anything violent towards people ok?"
Me: "Oh they are a non-violent group mom...they don't believe in hurting people, even to save the earth...besides, I left a tree-sit once that I thought was getting too violent towards the loggers..."
Mom: "Well that's good...that's like (referring to getting violent towards loggers,) those people who kill abortion doctors..."
Me: "Exactly! We are also a part of nature, so killing a person doesn't make sense to save a tree..."
Mom: "Yep...well don't end up in jail before we get to see you hunny, 'cuze that would spoil the summer..."
Me: "I'll try mom..but if I feel like jail is necessary to do what is right..."
Mom: "It would spoil the summer, we really want to see you..."

So that was basically it concerning Earth First! I found it kind of funny that the lady who taught me about the environment and living a green lifestyle at a very early age was only concerned about Earth First! in that it could land me in jail when I had promised to come to New York this summer to see her. But as mom gets older, more of her life is focused on staying in contact with her children, so I could see how this was a big concern. I likewise really want to see her, but to me, if being jailed for a little while saves a sea-lions' life or keeps him or her out of Sea World, then that is worth it. I'd even skip summer vacation for that.

After all, who will speak for the trees?

Love ya,
Carrot

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