The Lunatic Farmer and Tom's Theory of Boxes...

With the revamping of my business this year, I decided that a blog was another way for me to share a variety of interesting information and spotlight ambitious people. Hopefully it will widen your spectrum and introduce you to new and interesting things! I won't get too far off in left field, though, because as my favorite "lunatic farmer", Joel Salatin, says: "You can't be too weird for your customers....you can be a buddhist, or you can be a nudist, but you can't be a nudist buddhist!" Well said, Joel. By the way, I'm neither. Which brings me to my next topic....the theory of boxes.

My husband Austin and I met each other in Philosophy class in college and we had this hippie type teacher who inevitably would veer from the book content to his own lecture on "Tom's Theory of Boxes". He would work through the seemingly impossible conundrum of us college age students fitting into a certain square box. Our parents wanted us to be in this box, we wanted to be in this box, society wants us in this box, etc. The conversation never went anywhere, but something about it stuck with me and shaped my way of thinking.

With each passing day at my business, I have realized that in order for health to occur, an eclectic plan needs to be implemented. That means my thinking can't fit in to one certain box, and each person may require their own set of rules. Treatment plans need to be fluid and ever changing, with every avenue explored. It is beneficial to have multiple "aces" up the sleeve in health (and all aspects of life!) In my case, I am interested in almost everything health related!! My bread and butter and most extensive training comes in the form of Traditional Chinese Medicine (acupuncture and herbs) and massage therapy, but I am also a fanatic about nutrition, sustainable farming, gardening, essential oils, exercise, yoga....you name it. In fact, if you get me started talking about farmer's markets, I may not ever stop! I was the kid who wore cut off jean shorts and a ball cap, but also played with barbies. I was the hardcore gymnastics/track athlete who also loved pottery making in high school. My personal interests as well as my practice style are eclectic, because health is eclectic.

So, here's to not fitting into a box and embracing all that this world has to offer! No one culture or type of medicine is 100% correct, but the sum of the parts that are right equal a world of possibilities. I encourage each of you to branch out and explore those things foreign to you and take what you can from them. Step out of the box, or squash the box all together and be a triangle or a circle! Be like Joel Salatin, who describes himself as "a Christian libertarian environmentalist capitalistic lunatic farmer." I hope this blog can be an outlet for each of you to pull inspiration from or spark a new hobby, as well as provide you with some interesting information along the way.

PS- my next blog post will probably be about Joel Salatin, since I mentioned and quoted him twice in this post alone :)

PSS- This blog will contain occasional personal opinions which span multiple ways of thinking. Instead of being offended, just consider the view and move on. Remember that every type of medicine and therapy has its place and use, as does the opposite view of every view that I present. There are parts of every single thing on this earth that have purpose and merit....except maybe ticks, mosquitoes, and poison ivy. I think we can all agree there. ;)

Thanks for reading,

Shelly