My friends tell me I'm turning into a goat, but humans have probably thought that way for most of their time in creation. Archeologists examining ancient animal carcasses found that humans ate after the big predators, meaning that they weren't hunter/gatherers, but rather scavengers. Meat was a treat left behind by animal hunters, while plants were the base human diet; humans spend most of their time wandering like goats and other vegetarian animals, seeking good things to eat in the surrounding natural gardens. Later history, when humans began to adapt to an agricultural life, supports a similar diet. Grown vegetables and grains formed the base, supplemented by found fruit and nuts, animal products like milk and eggs, and less frequently, meat. This is in sharp contrast to the standard American dinner, featuring a big helping of meat, some highly processed grains, and a small helping of some overcooked canned vegetables. Does archeology support certain circles of modern dietary science, or is modern thought merely rewriting our past?
Ginger's food pyramid seems to favor plants that grow high. She loves leaves the best, then bushes, then tall grass, then short grass. Rye is her favorite type of grass, which works out because it seems to grow all over the place. I found a patch growing in a parking lot, and another outside a mechanic's shop. In both cases, I thought like Ginger, "Good to eat," and wanted to take it home. Fortunately, my human sense took over and I considered that with all the toxins from cars around, it would not be something good to bring home for her. When I take her to the walking track, she quickly learns that all those beautiful bunches of pine needles are off limits, due to potential contamination from pesticides and whatnot. I feel bad that her instincts can no longer be her only guide in what is good to eat, and what is unsafe. I feel worse that humans are exposed to this problem every day when they bring produce home from the grocery store. Most people I know do not wash their fruits and vegetables like we are told. I don't think humans are lazy, I think that like goats, we have that instinct that this food is good to eat, and we aren't afraid of what poisons might be on it from the humans who hand it down the line to us.
The worst part yet is that no one, human or goat, can see a tasty plant in the wilderness and say with certainty, "Good to eat." Food, food, everywhere, but not a bite to eat.
