New Semester...New laughs

So it's a new semester for me which means new classes, new students, and new funny moments to share with all of you. My first class at UH was last night and it's called Environmental Education. The course is described as "forming curriculum for schools that focus on environmental awareness."

That is not what we did yesterday.

The class I sat in yesterday was a hippy's dream. The syllabus is only a paragraph long and explains how we'll be focusing on peace gardens, how to make one and how they can bring inner peace as well as peace to others. O-k-a-y.

Then it says we'll be going on field trips. I'm okay with that, I like field trips. But these trips are to the nature conservatory and some compost heap that only my third grade teacher would MAKE me go to. But I tell myself it's okay, at least I get out of the classroom.

And then the introductions happen and I realize...this is going to be a repeat of last semester. Everyone in the room is talking about how involved they are with the environment, the activist roles they've taken to stop pollution and the healthy food they eat. Here I am, a six foot carnivore who uses plastic and styrofoam plates, and the only awareness I have is to throw my garbage in the trash. Great.

So one of my classmates talks about how she lived in England for 11 years and how she worked at a school started by Satish Kumar (Apparently he walked around the world for peace, I had no idea until I googled him last night). Then she gets into a discussion about how plants are the true food that God has bestowed on us and at this point I can't resist. I raise my hand and talk about the Bible and how it talks about animals and how they were actually given to man (I remember talking about that in seminary)

My comments could be seen as uncaring and brash, but I had to defend myself! I was the only meat-loving, ozone depleting person in the room! Meat lovers of the world unite! was my motto. Everyone was mad at me...even the teacher. But who cares? I'm not afraid of them...much. I just hope they don't wrap me in lettuce and offer me to their tree God. That would suck.