Directly across the parking lot, there sat the remains of the Taco Bell. It had been there for quite some time and a couple of weeks prior, people had cheered when it fell. The massive behemoth and the creator of "fourth meal" lay in shambles; a pile of dust! From the dust and detritus begins to arise...well...another Taco Bell.
I have worked for major corporations for some years and I liked them, for the most part, because the ones I worked for had no malice in their hearts and within the microcosm of the particular property I was working at at the time, there was a family atmosphere. It is the indifference of the conglomerate that often causes the problems. Again, no overt malice, just a desire to make a buck and satisfy a bottom line for their investors. Do you have any idea how much cheaper "cheese product" and "taco meat" are than aged cheddar and grass fed beef? Do you know how much easier it is to buy pre shredded lettuce treated with chemicals to keep it from browning than it is to hire someone to shred it or even chop tomatoes for that matter. Fast food is cheap and barely edible which is what the average person is looking for at 2 a.m., right around the time "fourth meal" rolls around.
My friends arrived and we sat and talked for a while and ate as the September sun went down. These were friends with similar interests, of course, and we talked about the things that were frustrating us while eating vegetarian burritos, beginning with Taco Bell.
From what I understand, people like us just want good food. We want it well prepared. We want it to be nourishing and healthy and we want it (because it is the thing that keeps us alive) to be prepared with somewhat of a conscience. People have different goals, needs, and ideas, whether they be vegetarian or with some personal health issue, or whatever, but processed cheese product barely fits the bill. We can get into GMO's later. The main thing to realize is that what we are asking for is simple; for our food to be good.
The fact that the little Mexican place was packed on a Wednesday night should tell us something. Good food, prepared well, can survive and that in the long run Super Taco should win this battle, if only on points. Fast food, prepared fast has to resort to gimmicks and volume to survive. Wouldn't they thrive if they stopped the gimmicks and the "fourth meals" and stop rebuilding the buildings?
I like what I do now and I like meetings like that. I was offered a ride, but ended up just walking. I took in the night air and went in search of coffee. The dominant thought in my mind was how to do this with Winnie Mae's AND take it one step further. We have to get the word out. We have to have events. We have to shake the tree. We need people to get involved. We need suggestions. We need involvement. We need donations.
I can't wait until the Farmageddon showing. There's a hum starting...can you here it? It will soon become a 'buzz' and then....I'm excited about the possibilities. How about you?
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