Just like life as a whole is a journey, so the individual parts of life are a journey… like food and eating. Sometimes I elevate food and eating while admiring its ability to bring people together and to enjoy the enjoyment it brings. Other times I lower it in my estimation and want to have little esteem as I view it as ‘just food’, mere fuel that is elevated to a place in people’s mind that is detrimental to a healthy mind, will, and emotions. Some days I just want to “stick it” to food and say “none of you” and others I want to enjoy it and use it. And I do. Both. And I enjoy both, strangely enough. I have had some strange journeys with food (vague I know) and I am sure you have as well. I think balance in life (and thereby food) is important. It is as if you do not want to undervalue, under-appreciate, or even be in less awe at food… and at the same time you do not want to overvalue, over-estimate, or be in too much awe over food.
Another random thought I have been thinking is how we get used to buying or eating certain things and do not even question them anymore. Do you do that? For example, do you always go into the grocery or market and have your ‘go to’ things that you just pick up and go without even thinking. I do that. Naturally, things we are less familiar with, we take more time to get acquainted with. Every now and then the thought runs through my head “But what if they changed the ingredients since you last looked and now they process it with or add something you don’t want to eat”… so I better read. For some reason this attention has caused me to enjoy my food more. Strange, I know. I think it is partly because when I have a better idea of what things truly are, I appreciate them more.
Sometimes I just want to keep eating a certain food or spice over and over in order to gain all of the sense of what it is and what it tastes like, so that I can really know it. Sometimes I want to do that with people too. There are certain people that I never get tired of hanging out with and they make you just want to keep experiencing them over and over again. But how would you know that about the food or the person unless you have a really good sense of what it is (or they are).?.? Hmmm?
What was this post about? I don’t know, I was just thinking out loud to you… and to me.. obviously… you see.
Tim is a health researcher and educator based out of Nashville, TN. Connect with him on Instagram @eattodaytolivetomorrow.
