Do we have too many choices in life? For some things, yes we do and it can make us feel a little overwhelmed. But when it comes to the things that matter the most, we are given less and less choices. It's funny cos I have often heard people say how we are spoilt for choice and it is easy to see why some would believe that, because it is something that is being promoted, especially if you look at advertising. But that is only on the surface.
When you look at the things that we can buy, there are endless choices, enough to give you a headache. I love the fact that there are no large supermarkets where I live and that I get most of what I need from the weekly market. When I do go to a large supermarket, I always come away feeling drained, it is not an experience that I enjoy. So I am really happy that I still live in a place and in a way which means that I don't need to go to one. I chose to live here and I am very grateful that I have been able to make that choice. I am fully aware that I have more choices then some, simply because of where I was born.
When we look deeper at the choices that we have, and not just at the surface, it is then that you will see that the most important choices we have are being taken away from us.
Let me start at the beginning. Lets look at birth, each year it is getting harder and harder for women to have the freedom to choose where it is, that they actually want to birth their babies and with who they want to be there. Most women are not even aware that they have a choice to birth at home. In some countries, it is now illegal for midwife to attend a homebirth, forcing women to go to hospital. Once a women attends a hospital both her and her baby are under the care of that hospital and the chances of the woman having a natural birth are very small.
Why? because most woman are placed on a drip when they arrive and that drip continues a synthetic hormone that is given to speed up the birth. But it does not only do that it also affects the babies heart rate which can then lead to further interventions. A vaginal birth is not the same as a natural birth but so many women are unaware of this and have no choice once they enter the hospital. Women are not being informed about their birth choices and their rights, they tend to go along with what they are being told, having no idea about some of the risks that are involved.
Next up is education, again it is getting harder and harder for parents to home school their children. Even if the country they live in allows it, they have to experience home inspections, that can be very invasive and their children are interviewed regularly, which for young children can be traumatic. Of course there is no problem if you send your child to school, but for those of us who don't, it's not always easy. I personally chose not to register my children where I live, so that I do not receive any pressure from the government or educational system about my girls. Of course there are alternative schools but they are very expensive and not a real choice for a lot of people.
Another reason that I choose not to register my girls, is because of vaccinations. I chose not to vaccinate them, after educating myself about the ingredients that are used in them and also because of the side effects they have. More and more countries around the world are making it mandatory for children to be vaccinated, the latest being Germany.
When you go to your Doctor, what choices are you given when it comes to treatment, from my experience pharmaceuticals are always the first line of treatment. So how does that make you feel. Are you happy knowing, that when it comes to how we birth our children, how we educate them , how we look after their health are all choices that are being made by others and not by us. That when you go to your health centre that you are rarely given a choice about the treatment that you receive.
How about the fact, that the many choices we have, when it comes to food and clothing and housing products are mostly, all ones that are harmful to the earth, harmful to us.To choose to eat and dress more consciously costs more, unless you are growing your own and up cycling your clothes. So do you feel like, you have so much of a choice now?
I could go on, I could talk about the restrictions that are put on us if we plan to build our own homes, how we have to follow certain guidelines. How in most countries now in Europe it is illegal to have a live in vehicle on your own land. That doesn't stop some of us, but it is getting harder to live alternatively.
But what is most important, is that we make the right choices and we need to be informed in order to do that! We need to be aware of the impact that our choices are having on ourselves, our families and the earth. There is always a choice, for now anyhow.
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