Today I lived differently. It is crazy were this life is going. More new layers are unfolding, as I evolve with the raw vegan community at the Kanekiki farm. This week has been great, despite the ups and downs. I have followed the fruitarian diet successfully, eating mostly papayas and a couple of meals of oranges. I can proudly say, that this week for sure, I have been without doubt, a fruitarian bodybuilder, practicing real, honest and transparent bodybuilding as best as I can.
A Nice Day of Work at the Kanekiki Farm
Waking up this morning wasn’t hard, but unfortunately I went back to sleep. It is an old habit I will soon overcome. I still made it to the Kanekiki community room by 6:15 a.m., Jake didn’t join me this time for yoga, so I did a little qigong instead. This is another poor habit I need to overcome, depending on others to practice, and not practicing enough…
Morning meeting was somewhat fun. Bill said we need to preserve water and I got a chance to crack some shower related jokes. Everyone laughed. =D
At the end of the meeting I reminded the whole community at the Kanekiki farm that today I would be doing a speech fast. I plan on not talking for the whole day (after our afternoon meeting), and perhaps going all the way through Saturday and Sunday without saying a word.
My job for the day was moving firewood. My teammate was Michael, the newest member of our raw vegan community. We worked hard for two hours straight and barely stopped to catch our breaths. By the end of my shift I was exhausted but glad we got the job done. I am still wondering if I would have more energy if I had breakfast in the morning before work. I haven’t quite figured that one yet.
As soon as I finished working I washed my hands and had a handful of papayas. It is clear that the sweet spot is four papayas at a time. I can do five sometimes, but six is certainly too many right now and should certainly avoid doing that from now on.
An Unexpected Community Meeting at the Kanekiki Farm
At 12 p.m. we all met upstairs for a “surprise meeting” that Barb, Vicky and Bill had organized for us. None of us knew what the meeting was for, but we all had the suspicion it was about the topic of drugs and alcohol.
Before starting the meeting Vicky asked if someone could lead us into a meditation to set the container, I gladly volunteered. I shared a simple meditation in which we all became aware of our bodies, our hearts and our minds, then we connected to the presence within ourselves, then to the presence within each other and then to the presence of the community at large, from that placed, we set our intentions.
Drug and Alcohol Use at the Kanekiki Raw Vegan Community
After tuning in, Vicky told us this meeting was in fact to talk about drug and alcohol use inside and outside the Kanekiki farm. The policy for the community, which is well known to everyone in the Kanekiki farm even before moving in, is that drug and alcohol use is prohibited inside and outside the farm. The policy states that anyone who consumes drugs or alcohol during their stay will be expelled from the farm.
Unfortunately, over the last few days, a few people confessed to having used substances outside the farm and thus a meeting was held to discuss the issue. Vicky invited those who had used substances to speak their truth. Half a dozen people raised their hand. Each one of them had the opportunity to tell us what they had done and give the reasons for their actions. We all offered support to our fellow members, encouraging them to speak truthfully and accepting them for who they are. As far as I could tell, there were no negative judgments.
The New Prohibition at the Kanekiki Raw Vegan Community Farm
Much more was said during the meeting which of course I will hold confidential. The final choice from the community was to make an exception and allow everyone to stay at the Kanekiki farm, regardless of what their actions had been in the past. That of course, with the promise that they would no longer consume substances during their stay.
Before the meeting ended I requested Barb, Vicky and Bill to promise that there will BE no second chances given to anyone in the community who uses substances in the future. I did this because I have a need for integrity and a need to be rules by community rules that I can count on.
I don’t have any issues with drugs in particular, I have used some in the past and I can appreciate them for what they are. Marihuana, for example, is perfectly legal in Colorado (and now in California as well). I don’t have any issues with it, I know it has lots of benefits for many people, and it has certainly benefited me in the past. I hold the same views for alcohol and other substances as well. Everything is divine and everything has its divine purpose in this world.
That being said, I moved to the Kanekiki farm because I wanted to live the raw vegan lifestyle and because I wanted to be in a drug and alcohol free environment. I simply can’t tolerate people using substances here, mainly because that is the rule we agreed to follow. I knew it was a bold move to request a promise from the community leaders yet everyone in the meeting seemed to appreciate my request.
Kanekiki Farm: A Clean Raw Vegan Community
I believe that the Kanekiki Farm is now one of the cleanest communities in the state of Hawaii and perhaps the cleanest in the Big Island. According to Bill, we may be the only vegan community that prohibit the use of drugs and alcohol. We are also likely to be one of the only raw vegan communities in Hawaii. We are practically self-sustainable and are likely to become 100% self-sustainable very soon.
I am very proud to be part of this movement. This is the manifestation of many of my dreams. There are other pieces as well, which I trust will slowly fall into place. Today’s meeting was a HUGE step forward in the right direction. I am proud of who I am and all the people I share this sacred space with.
… and before I move on to the next topic, let me reiterate: There is nothing intrinsically wrong with drugs, alcohol or the people that use these substances. I simply don’t see them having a place in my life right now. I am not saying everyone should stop using them and I am not saying I will not use them again in the future.
I refer to our self-sustainable, raw vegan, drug and alcohol free lifestyle as “clean” or “cleaner” because it simply is: We encourage less animal abuse, less waste, less pollution and other elements that are considered cleaner. The word “dirty” is just another word. If you consider your lifestyle dirtier and you find yourself offended by these words, then I encourage you to find out what type of life you want to live and to accept yourself for who you are, while also exploring the possibility of change.
Fruit Fast, Speech Fast and an Incredible Night
I had the pleasure of spending the rest of the night writing this blog post and eating some of the last papayas I have left. I almost can’t believe I ate more than 100 papayas in less than seven days. I truly feel amazing, mostly because of my pride, but the fruit also helps. 😉
One clear way of knowing that my papaya fast is working is by cleaning my digestive track. I have noticed that over the past few days, I am going to the bathroom much more regularly, up to three and even four times per day which is excellent. When I was eating vegetables and more fat I was pooping only once or twice per day, the days I eat too much fat I wouldn’t poop at all. In the past, when I used to eat cooked foods and animal products, I would get bloated, have constipation and dyareea. None of that has ever happened since I began my low fat raw vegan diet.
My speech fast has also proven to be effective. It began today after our morning meeting. My last words were a joke I made by yelling “let’s go get wasted!” right after our alcohol and drugs meeting was over. I am enjoying being quiet, although I am still communicating with people in mild nonverbal ways. The only detriment to my speech fast is that I haven’t been able to ask if anyone has seen my phone, I guess I am doing a phone fast too…
We closed the night by watching the movie “The Incredibles”. It is an animated film that narrates the life of a family of super heroes. It was my second time watching the film and it reminded me that no matter how much pressure we are put on by society, there is no escaping who we truly are. The world needs our truest selves, and this is what I aim to give you right here, right now.
This is who I am.
READ ABOUT DAY 38
