Eat Your Revolution - My Secret Plan to Take Over the World by Seth Lyon
Welcome to the Revolution! All who seek a better world are welcome, although you should know that my overthrow of the World Regime will be peaceful. No sign carrying or gun toting will be necessary, although we may fling a few custard pies. I do not consider myself a leader, I’m just a food-loving musician bent on TWD (Total World Domination)—not that I personally would like to dominate the world—I just want to help open the door so a more intelligent, healing force can take over. Call it God, the Will of the Universe, your own Heart, Chocolate-Raspberry Obsession Cake, or My Own Silly Imagination, whatever. There is no dogma, credo, anthem, or rituals required, although I do have a few helpful hints.
First, lets get rid of The Guilt. Nothing makes food (and life) harder to digest than soul-sucking, fat-building guilt. Whatever you’re eating, enjoy it! Be it fish or fowl or fennel, cow or cauliflower, wheat grass, whole-wheat gluten, or gluten-free garlic bread—food is good! Believe it. Why weigh down anything you consume with judgments about whether it’s good or bad for you?
Realize now that your mind, heart, will, and intention are infinitely more powerful than that creme brulee! How easy it is to forget that we have the option of applying our souls to the conscious enjoyment of salmon. It’s probably because we believe that we need food to live that we give it power over us.
It’s true that we are here on Earth to participate with and learn from the cycle of Life and Death, of which the consumption of food is an integral part. Eating helps us be here to enjoy it all, but it’s been proven throughout history that given enough Awareness and Attention, one can step outside of that cycle and be sustained solely by the Lifeblood of the Universe. Jesus in the desert, Buddha under the tree. Gurus, nuns, monks, and messiahs through the ages have shown us that food isn’t really necessary to live—but it sure is yummy, so eat up! We can’t all be yogis, and why bother anyway? I’ve spent enough lifetimes in a cave transcending and don’t really think that it’s about that anymore. This time is about putting our Awareness and Intention into the so called “mundane” world—into things like eating, breathing, walking around, playing music, making love, making dinner, slinging custard pies and generally making the most out of life. Whatever you eat, Choose to eat it.
Another part of my plan for TWD involves not eating when we aren’t really hungry. Just ‘cause there’s a gnawing sensation in one’s gut, that doesn’t necessarily mean that food should go in there. I often find that if I take a moment to zone into my stomach when I’m feeling “REALLY HUNGRY”, I’ll find things like grief, anger, doubt, and yes—GUILT! All masquerading as hunger so they can be buried with steak and onions and ice cream. Nothing makes food harder to digest than attaching unresolved emotion to it. If instead we take the time to feel all that stomach stuff for what it is, we can be free to infuse our food with love and joy and delight. Beer is good too.
I love to eat and I love to make food for others. Ever seen “Like Water for Chocolate”? It’s part of my propaganda campaign. I figure that if I keep on making food for people at the rate that I have been, I should be able to feed folks enough love to tip the scales sometime around 2012. Of course you all could help! Then we don’t even have to wait for that whole “End of Time” thing.
So let the call go out! Let flags be unfurled and trumpets sounded! Let balsamic vinegar reductions be drizzled upon the candied pears of our enemies! Think about how much we are all connected. We are all made up of the same stuff and that stuff is always in motion. Is there any part of you that was not once stardust? How can guilt, pain, fear, and bad food combining possibly survive the transformative powers you possess? The next time you wonder how you could make a difference—make breakfast!
Seth Lyon is a composer, minstrel, chef, cope-errant (co-parent), and writer. He lives and works on Earth, sometimes at Breitenbush Hot Springs in Oregon when he’s not in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He really does plan to take over the world.