Proof of Life

As I was processing corn last night, I had a revelation. Let me explain.

--------------------------------------

I spend a great deal of time in my own mind. While I don't share most of those thoughts with you because they're so interwoven with memories and things that happen during my days (I won't share my school experiences online), I was thinking about the whole locavore/organic movement last night as I cleaned the corn. I had to; after 60 ears of corn, I became desensitized to the little worms that camp out at the tips of the cobs. I began to actually find them endearing. In their own slow, efficient manner, they are something more that creepy little protein monsters; they are proof that the corn is natural, edible, and alive. The first rings of the chain of life, right in my hand like precious jewels. You won't find them on sprayed corn, or grocery store corn; they're proof of the organic commitment of the farmer that provided the corn to me. Proof of life.

----------------------------------------

I picked the little guys off (they don't move much, because they're stuffed with corn!), and put them in a jar. I tossed them into the grass in my yard, where they'll feed my hungry birds, taking that inevitable link up the food chain. Each link represents both death and life, and all is as it should be. We are interwoven, and it's beautiful.