Beautiful Routine - Cultural Event #5

I have my routines. I was told by my decidedly creepy Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion professor last year that these routines would "suck out my life force", ending my time on this earth quickly. I, on the other hand, find these routines profoundly comforting, satisfying my need for consistency in a world that is otherwise inconsistent.

One these routines is going to the Saturday morning farmer's market. I attempt to go every Saturday to pick up my fresh fruits, vegetables, and of course, bread. The Saturday morning crowd tends to be quite different from the Thursday night market. The Thursday night market, I've found is more useful for entertainment purposes, yet shopping and speaking to the different vendors is difficult due to the mass amounts of people.

There is always a large variety of people at both markets. The Saturday morning market attracts both students, attractive in their bold sunglasses and their Abrocrombie and Fitch sweaters, and locals, dread locked, carrying rosy cheeked babies. Then of course there are the vendors, the farmers, those who wake before dawn to sell their products. These farmers, bakers, and tamale makers come from different cultural backgrounds - there are many immigrant Hmong families, Mexican-American families, and Caucasian families. I appreciate this event because of its nature to bring groups of people together who may otherwise never come into contact.

The farmer's market is also important in relation to the last cultural event I attended - the lecture on solar power and global warming. Buying local is one method used to decrease one's footprint upon the earth, reducing the level of carbon emissions that would be increased by shipping food long distances. In addition, this supports our local farmers and our local economy.

There, professor of magic and witchcraft! My routine, which you claim forces me into some small box, actually is a liberating, positive experience. This routine, magic in itself, allows me to connect with a large variety of people, reduce my global footprint, support my local economy, and last but not least, enjoy the sun on a beautiful Saturday morning.