26 Mar Insinkerator

One of my favorite gadgets is the Insinkerator. It sits beneath the sink and grinds down all but beef bones. I use it several times a day and each time it’s an experience. I think about the bacteria beneath the Insinkerator; how they will enjoy the rinds of blood oranges, watermelon remains and eggshells. I’m sure they know that my eating preferences are different than that of the people who lived in my house before me.

Likewise, I think about the bacteria below the toilet. They’ve got lots of shit to eat several times a day. Recently, I had a couple of stale dry cigars that I put down the toilet instead of tossing them in the garbage bin; thinking they’d be a refreshing treat for the bacteria. After flushing away the cigars, I imagined the bacteria greeting them with amazement; amazed at their uniform shape. Thinking the cigars a treat, the bacteria rushed to eat them; but were likely put off by the taste of the cigars and declared: “this tastes like shit.”

When we are sensitive to the experience of bacteria, feeding them via sink, toilet or other pathway makes for an engaging experience. Those who are not conscious of the bacteria’s experience are essentially asleep, mechanically going through the process of disposing food and excrement. Likewise, in other aspects of their lives they’re asleep.

When asleep, we are on automatic pilot and our mind easily controls us; we are its prisoners. Our mind convinces us that those who are awake are crazy because we can’t experience what they can. Our mind makes us fear being awake because that would mean we’re crazy. Well, those who are awake may be crazy, however they are the relatively happier and free.