(Angela Stokes and Matt Monarch in photo)
Dear All,
I must make an immediate clarification and subsequent apology for any misunderstanding my last blog post caused in relation to Angela Stokes...allow me to explain:
I received an e-mail last night from Matt Monarch (Angela Stokes' partner, and equally in his own right major raw food spokesperson and author). He said that that blog post brought him to tears (as he has Google Alerts which flag to them any use of their names on the web). It was his reading of my post that I was calling Angela "a wacko" -- misinterpreting what I was intending to be a comment about CNN. I was surprised to learn that it was CNN doing the filming, and then subsequently fearful as I have no regard for the CNN, sensationalist broadcasting, skewed style of reporting they do. I should have phrased my last post comment's far more clearly...it was a fear i was voicing, fearing that CNN may portray Angela as "the wacko of the week!" It was my hope that they don't add to some of the negative stigma around raw food. But, Angela, standing and speaking in her glory is the most beautiful testament to the power and absolute vitality of raw foods. For this undue distress I caused, I sincerely apologize to both Matt and Angela. I was so disturbed that this inadvertently happened, that I had the worst time going to sleep. It's tough when you insult or hurt someone that you so much respect for. I did very much enjoy the speech. By first intermission at 9:30 at night, I had to leave....otherwise I would have been a non-present audience member. But my first introduction to the concepts of raw food was at David Rainoshek's talk about JuiceFeasting, and hearing about Angela Stokes really, really inspired me. The lovely thing about receiving Matt's email was to see how quick he was to respond in defense of Angela. Truly beautiful. Really, really beautiful. I would be interested in anybody else's responses to my last post -- did anyone else read it in the same way as Matt Monarch did? My apologies all around!
Love Bronwyn
8 comments:
I understood your 'wacko' comment in the correct context of CNN. I was surprised about how harsh I perceived your other comments to be about Angela. I did realize that it was your experience and we certainly all have free speech. Dont' beat yourself up, most of us have been in similar situations at one time or another in our lives. Thanks for the clarification.
Hello Bronwyn, Matt & Anglea:
I, too, had the utmost pleasure of being at Angela's chat at Bliss. I'm not raw (not close!)but am totally intrigued by it. I found Angela to be an utterly captivating speaker as I'm such a lover of the human journey. Hearing such an amazing story delivered in Angela's way was a delight.
Bronwyn-- I & my husband both took your post to mean that you worried CNN would frame it as "wacko of the week" not that YOU felt that way. CNN is catering to the mainstream Americas. Would a more scientific approach have been more valid to get the raw message out? Maybe for CNN but not for me. I'd have checked out at word one- instead I sat in 'Bliss' and was delighted.
This is an opportune time to give a shout out to Bronwyn who has inspired me to make small changes in my life toward a healthier lifestyle. Today I begin a mini 3 day Juice Feast- thanks for sharing the love with me, Bronwyn. xo
Dear Susan --
Thank you for your feedback. By this point I've re-read my blog post multiple times -- and for me it's quite clear that I was never harsh on Angela...but I was dissapointed in the overall experience of the talk - not with Angela.
Cheers,
Bronwyn
Dear Tracy --
Thanks so much for the comment.
Much appreciated. I forwarded it to Matt and Angela.
Love Bronwyn
Hi Bronwyn,
(Apologies in advance as this is a long comment. :) I understood your 'wacko' comment in relation to the distorted way the media often portrays things. You were speaking towards an institution (media) and not against any one person (Angela).
However, having been at Cafe Bliss as well, and having heard Angela's talk firsthand, I strongly disagree with you that had I not already been raw, I wouldn't have been inspired to go raw afterwards. That certainly wasn't MY experience of the evening, but I respect your opinion that it was YOURS. Actually, after the intermission (which admittedly was late in the evening, which started later than expected), Angela talked about the emotional journey and I found that part of the evening VERY inspirational. In fact, one of my girlfriends had come along; she's not raw at all, and she was really inspired by Angela & is opening her mind to the possibility of going raw. But again, you are entitled to your opinion, of course. I didn't feel like I was in a room with raw food celebrities, either... I felt like Angela and the others were really relatable, very down-to-earth, but I'm not at all involved in the local raw food scene and hadn't met any other raw foodies before. ;) I even drove 60 kms each way to attend the evening & had to find childcare, and I still maintain it was wonderfully inspiring & well worth the trip, imo. :)
Do you think it's possible that perhaps your experience at the GPs earlier in the day affected your outlook later? There is a wonderful gift of self-awareness here that has come in some rather shocking wrapping paper, hasn't it.
I have inadvertently offended others in the past and it just feels so terrible (I, too, have lost sleep over such moments), when that was SO not my intention, so I felt I ought to speak up and let you know that life WILL go on. Knowing you are a divine being having a human experience will possibly help you reach a place of self-compassion and forgiveness. Remember the gift this moment has brought you.
~namaste~
nicole
http://lovinglifeandlaughing.blogspot.com
Nicole --
I thank you for your comment on my blog --
A perceptive question about my GP experience influencing me perhaps? -- but I say no...I am so committed to raw food...that experience was upsetting, but in my tolerant approach, will return to him again in belief that he is a human being speaking his truth. Our truths are different, but....=tolerance needed on my part.
I'm thrilled that Angela's talk was inspiring to you and to your friend -- as you may have noticed, my neighbour who I brought with me, was also very inspired. It was a successful night for those two reasons alone! 100% success! I was already a convert...
I would be curious to do a poll of the crowd a month down the road and see what influence she had on them!
What I am thrilled about is all the conversation this has stimulated - let's get people talking!
Thanks, Bronwyn
Hi Bronwyn,
I have to say I read the post as Matt did, and was a little shocked. I thought you were treating her harshly as well. Sometimes it's easy to get ahead of ourselves when writing and we can be misunderstood.
So thanks for the clarification, and don't beat yourself up.
Hope things go better with your doc going forward.
XO
Pixy Lisa
hi! just another note saying i could tell you weren't insulting angela - just afraid CNN would make her look nutty, instead of appreciating her amazing accomplishments.
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