Choosing Organic...or Not.

Last week a gentleman in the dining room sent back the ketchup. Many may assume that he sent it back because it was loaded with high fructose corn syrup or genetically modified fruit. Those people would be wrong. He sent it back because it was organic. Organic Heinz ketchup to be sure, but still organic. He didn't want that organic ketchup on his food, no siree. It was an interesting moment. Because sometimes we forget that there are two sides to this story. For each of us that wants to make better choices and take small steps towards a more sustainable food chain and healthier planet, there's someone else who doesn't. They don't see anything wrong with the status quo. They can have a variety of reasons for their choices, but the fact remains. They don't want organic ketchup, grass fed beef, free range chickens. They don't want those things anywhere near their plates, they don't want to talk about it, they just want to eat and be left alone. That's their choice and we have to respect that. Agreeing to disagree is after all the backbone of the American way. We can't knock the very freedom that our country is founded on. My first impulse was to go out to the dining room and explain why we offered organic ketchup.  But, it was clear that he wasn't interested and that to do so would be perceived as aggressive and inflammatory.  So I let it go.  We all have to make our own choices. Once we give up the mutual respect that allows us to do so, we open the door to ugly places and impossible situations. So, although I may not always applaud your choices, I will always try to respect your right to choose.