Saturday, August 24, 2013

Rise to the Challenge!

It's taken me a week to process the amazing experience I had at "Your Weight Matters" conference in Phoenix last week.  Each and every session impacted me, and each and every person I met there, means so much to me.  I did not spend as much time with any of you as I should, but I look forward to seeing everyone again next year.

I am a part of a team that has raised over $7k and bought the Obesity Action Coalition into so many people's lives, and that I got to meet so many of the forward-thinking, bias busting, advocates in this country made this my most favored educational conference.  We all get it, we all have struggled and believe that it is not okay to treat people with obesity in an abusive, hurtful or unethical manner.  It is a disease of many factors, all of which are unique to each individual.

Our personal responsibility in this fight is to find ways to educate others about the disease, while doing all we can to take care for ourselves to concur those elements that are within our control.  It is a balance of nature and nurture, always.  When we surround ourselves with people who think about health with positive intentions and physiological mindfulness, we can choose thrive at our own journey.  Wherever we are in that journey.

I accept that I have eaten foods to contribute to my weight gain, but I also have eliminated so much from my diet. I hope to someday have both an organic garden and chicken coup in my yard, it's my romantic little dream of a Cajun cottage growing herbs around the house, veggies out back, and fruits along the side of the house.  A girl can dream!  However, my mission current unfolding is my desire to see more urban edibles gardens and green spaces.  It's been nagging me that the park down the street, a former city golf course, is sitting there overgrown and unused. It would make a beautiful community space for health education and a farm co-op.  This has been something floating in my head for the last two years.  I feel like I need to make it happen.

Anyway, back to OAC... I have a new family.  They are wonderful people doing good things and truly care.  I have a job where I get to see what's going on in the healthcare field with regard to obesity research and prevention, every single day.  The passion I feel toward ending this epidemic goes down to my soul.  I'll sit and listen to anyone's story, I want to hear it, I want them to tell it.  If they want to hear mine, I'll tell it as well.  At some point though, the story moves on.  I decided to move this story forward this last week by occupying my time with opportunities to make my community and my nation a better place.
 

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