Responsibility

I write about three subjects on this site that I think require some discussion concerning the ethics in which I approach such indulgences. Maybe some of this goes without writing, but with our individual ability to impact others around us and our world, a responsibility statement seems pertinent.

Beer (and Wine)

It’s clear I enjoy the Craft Beer Culture, and that many of our travels in this state, and beyond, result in tasting some fine liquid delights. I find it a bit sad that beverages are often associated with their intoxicating effects.  My earliest “wine teacher,”  showed me the wonder of enjoying wine for the art and culture of wine making, the conversation about wine that wine provokes, the connection wine offers as it returns people back to the earth and to community.  Breweries, and artisan ales and lagers of all types, offer exactly the same attributes.  Enjoyed respectfully and responsibly, an argument can be made that craft beer is restoring community to our rapidly isolating world.

Food

In a world of industrial agriculture, reproduced restaurants, fast-food, and corporate controlled food chains, I have three intentions: local, local, local.  Now, let me bring myself down from my high horse.  I sin sometimes, grabbing Subway for lunch, writing at Starbucks, and eating Chipotle (but hey, they were started in Denver). But I think we must make every effort possible to buy locally farmed produce, meats and cheeses, eat at locally owned restaurants, and enjoy food with our local community.

Travel

Many of my blog entries, particularly those while abroad, discuss the ethics of travel, the intrusion we can have as travelers on other cultures, and the impact (both negative and positive) we have on the places we wander.  I don’t think there’s a clear science to how we approach travel, but I think understanding local cultures and customs and histories (particularly those where our home country is involved) is a first step.  I think it’s also fundamental to always be aware of who we are, where we are, and to be thinking over these issues and impacts.  Yes, it is most lovely to wander and get lost and drift into a dreamy state of travel, but even in these moments, we owe it to ourselves, and to the places and people where we travel, to remain conscious of the profound affect of our footsteps.