Occupy Portland and the Food they Eat

I just got back from my first visit to Occupy Portland.  I have some shame and embarrassment that I have not been down to SW Main and 4^th sooner.  I have followed Occupy on-line, feel aligned with all the basic values of the movement and have been comfortable/ busy enough with school and work that I have not made time to go down or actively support a cause that for all intents and purposes, I believe in. 

We have been talking about behavior change in one of my classes.  We have read a bit about BJ Fogg  related to what causes behavior change and therefore how to support these changes in our lives.  I think its relevant to my trip to Occupy Portland today, because earlier this week I heard that at midnight tonight Occupy was going to get shut down/ moved out of the park and I realized that I if I wanted to see it in its current version I needed to get my butt down there.  That was my trigger. 

Here is a quick snapshot of today:  Rainy. Cold. Three blocks of tents with lots of tarps.   A pulpit area where about 30 people were participating in an activity related to different types of communication.  1 to 10 cops on every corner with various masks on their heads, necks, faces, or arms.   An info booth with activities, potlucks, and marches scheduled for the week (including tomorrow).  A food area.  Quite a few homeless people.  A lot of beer cans.  A section called the Latino Corner that was empty.  A few people that looked college educated who were very serious.  Many people who lived on the street, probably had mental health issues, and were probably not sober.  A number of signs.  One which said, “Cops are part of the 99% too.”

I talked with a cop for a while.  He said that this is the smallest its been in a long time.  That many people had packed up or just left in preparation for midnight.   He said that this space is meant to be a park where everyone can come and enjoy and that there have been significant sanitary issues. He told me about a large group that had just marched that day to the Lloyd Center and back and that part of what the police do is blockade intersections for the marchers when they need it.  He said that he identifies with the original cause, but not this particular movement.

It was hard. . .

. . . facing myself knowing that my life is interesting/ engaging/ blinding enough, so that I had not been down there before.

. . . seeing the people there today who supposedly represent me and feeling different, awkward, and separate.

. . . seeing that the majority of the people that I saw, are really the most marginalized people in society.  To recognize that we share a bracket and that no matter what I tell myself at night when I go to sleep in my warm bed, that they are more of ‘my people’ than the 1% are.

Don’t worry, I am still am going to tie this back into food and digestive health.  Earlier, I mentioned the kitchen/food area.  There was free, hot food that was being given out on this cold, rainy day.  Guess what it was. . .  white bread and steaming pasta with sauce.  Yes, free food that was either donated or bought.  And when I saw it, my stomach turned and I recognized some of my privilege once again.  If I eat wheat, I don’t feel good.  I get lethargic.  I am slower.  I am uncomfortable.  Not to say that the occupiers only eat foods that I consider unhealthy, but wheat and wheat are some of the cheapest foods.  And for some people, its much more about having something to burn than the quality of the fuel.

I felt uncomfortable again.  If I happened to be out of work and relying on the Occupy Movement, I realized how sick I would be.  It gave me compassion and guilt over the health of the 99%.  It helped me know how much I value the way I eat and realize how lucky I am in so many ways.  It helped me realize that I have something I don't want to lose.  It just watered some inner seed that has been wanting to grow.  I wonder what it will grow into.  I wonder if the whole world had the opportunity to have foods that helped them thrive instead of just survive, what our lives would be like and how many people would take advantage of it.