Remembering Who We Are In These Dark Times

I have some thoughts about troubled times, the Pulse Terror Attack, and the way forward.

Sunday, in Orlando, crowds of people stood in line to give blood to help the survivors, some of whom were fighting for their lives.

This morning, the gofundme to Support Victims of Pulse Shooting had already raised $1,392, 281 of its two-million-dollar goal.

In the end, after the smoke has cleared and the graves have been filled, this is what matters most, I think.

We must remember who we are.

We are the people spending our precious Sunday afternoon in line to give blood. We are the people sharing resources to help those touched by tragedy.

We are not the politicians, trying to position themselves to get a few more points in the polls.

We are not the two-dimensional beings on social media, using this tragedy to prop up political agenda, be that gun control or access to mental health or a fiercer stance on security.

When tragedy strikes, no matter its origin, we need to stop seeing ourselves, and each other, as gay and straight, black and white, red and blue, rich and poor.

When tragedy strikes, we must stand together as humans.

Cable news channels will sell plenty of advertising this week.

There are many who will capitalize on this tragedy. But there are many more who will be a light in the darkness. There are many more who will give their time, their money, and  their blood.

There are many who are responding to this horrible attack with fear. But there are many more who are responding with love.

In these dark times, it is important to remember and find comfort in the words of Anne Frank, a young girl in hiding from an oppressive government who would eventually take her life.

“In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart.”

My Favorite Restaurant in Orlando: Whole Foods

I love Whole Foods Market. I know it’s fashionable to mock Whole Foods, even while nomming on an organic salad topped with nine-dollar-a-bottle handmade vegan salad dressing.

I know Whole Foods isn’t perfect, but for now it’s the best alternative I have. I have to admit I’m a food snob. But I’m also pretty healthy and I think there might be a connection.

Recently I spent the week in Orlando. Orlando is filled with tourist traps and restaurants. I love fine dining but living in a hotel for a week sends me into a food panic. I don’t want to spend too much money on food, I don’t want to eat fast food and I don’t want to miss out on nutrition or consume too many calories.

I was thrilled to find the local Whole Foods to be the biggest and most complete Whole Foods I had even seen. The salad bar and hot bar were bigger than many, but that’s not all. There was a sushi bar, a shrimp bar, a granola bar (I mean, literally, a place to mix your own granola from a variety of grains, nuts, seeds and fruits), a soup bar, and even a beer and wine bar.

The cafeteria was a lovely place to eat and the food was scrumptious.

Years ago I would shop at Edge of the Woods in New Haven, Connecticut. I remember how strongly I protested that they wanted to start selling meat there (I don’t know if they ever did). I’m no longer a vegetarian but I didn’t try any of the meat products on the hot bar – I was too enthralled with the tempeh, dolmades, salads, eggplant and other veggie offerings.

In the cafeteria I noticed a gentleman really enjoying some ribs while his companion was eating hummus. I decided it’s a good thing to serve a wide variety of foods – there is something for everyone to enjoy. One thing I love about Whole Foods is the meat department. Everything is labeled according to its cruelty-free and free range production techniques.

There are some really fine restaurants in Orlando. But for the savings in money and calories and the opportunity to eat a wide variety of healthy and delicious food I would choose Whole Foods every time.