Last week, teens in Beijing were photographed at the Midi Music Festival walking the streets holding a leash with their leafy companions: cabbages.

So why is it that these teen cabbage owners were doing such an absurd thing? They are taking a stand; a stand against loneliness and depression.

According to the photography company, Europics, teens told reporters that “walking” their cabbages helped them cope with their feelings of loneliness and other emotional problems.

Seventeen-year-old cabbage-owner, Lui Ja Chen, claimed “I feel I can transfer my negative thoughts about myself to the cabbage, go for a walk with it, and come home feeling better about myself.”

Another seventeen-year-old, Da-Xia Sung, said “I have more interest for my cabbage than I do my parents. I feel it understands me.”

This weird way of taking a stand was created by artist, Han Bing and dates back to 2000 when the cabbage walk first began.  This is his way of taking a stand and making a point towards an incredibly serious subject.

The last teen that was asked about her cabbage had some intense feelings towards it, saying she can “throw the cabbage away and feel that I have tossed my feelings out with it.”

As many teens have stated, cabbages can be good companions who can help relieve different feelings of depression and loneliness.

I have even been debating the idea of doing a cabbage walk here at pentucket for my service learning project next year.So now that the weather is heating up and the sun is shining grab those cabbages, grab a leash and lets GO Pentucket!