Fringe

No, this post is not on 80's jean jackets or the FOX tv show (which is quite entertaining in an x-files meets CSI kind of way).

The other day I was talking to my friend Chris (the one who hooked us up with the whole gap program). She commented on how first it starts with home schooling and then you become more and more fringe. I remember the looks and comments when we decided to home school. Which by the way, was not to shelter our kids, but because I knew that they weren't getting what I felt they needed in our small town public school. Let's all stop for a minute and envision what your typical home school family looks like---did they wear little house on the prairie smocks, had no tv, and taught their kids with text books from the 1800's? Let's just say that we don't fit in the old home schooler peg ;) (God has blessed me so much by putting Normal home schooling moms in my path!) No one in our town home schooled, as far as we knew...and honestly, I've felt kind of secluded here..we'd become "THAT family". Just the beginnings of fringe living.

A few years ago we stopped eating red dyes and cut out almost all of the processed foods...yep...fringe...

Now that I'm delving more and more into what we put into our bodies, I feel it again....not only are we the unvaccinated home schoolers who don't eat junk food, but now we're the ones who don't feed our kids sugar, carbs or anything else fun! A month ago Jim and I watched Food Inc...and that just got the ball rolling! Yesterday I finished reading Fast Food Nation....I'll post on that later, but WOW! In high school I read The Jungle and am shocked to find that here in 2010 things really haven't changed...well, they changed but now we've regressed back. It saddens me to think our society has become so focused on the almighty dollar that these big companies treat their workers and farmers as an expendable byproduct.

I really want to buy our meat locally, and even then...I want to know it came from local farmers, not some big feedlot slaughter house/factory...Again...fringe, fringe and more fringe!

We have become so accustomed to fast, convenient and effortless that we've never thought to question if its good for you, let alone, safe! We don't stop and think of the consequences all of these artificial flavors (even "natural" isn't much better), dyes and preservatives have with our bodies. We've become fast food junkies and our kids are now suffering. Don't even get me started on the ecological effect we have with everything being disposable---we are seriously drowning in a sea of plastic! Oops..there I go again...more FRINGE!

So, what are things that cause you to be out on the fringe? Do you stir the pot or sit back and take it?

Just curious to see if I'm not the only one who has tried to make some changes :)