Adventures in eating for the kids. Two rules.

Content pulled for publication on another site.

Yay!I am published!

-nn

Survived the Family Reunion

This last weekend was the first family reunion in about twelve years. Seventy people representing all points of the nation converged on a suburb near Phoenix, AZ to catch up, reminisce, and eat foods they have not seen in a decade or more. To the uninitiated, the orgy of food would recall images of pure gluttony. To this small collection of people, it was the opportunity to express the love of childhood and family. To reaffirm a love through the expression of carefully preparing the foods of celebration. To be part of something larger than yourself. Larger than your siblings. To bask in the warm glow felt when everyone working together produces something the tribe will share. Then, to be able to sit back and watch as the smiles appear when they take that first bite. The memories produced at these events sustain me as I wonder when I will see my family next.

Throughout my childhood, events like this were common, occurring almost every week. The faces were mostly the same and while the food was always slightly different, the feelings were always identical. People coming together to share in joy and love.

The elders were all there directing the second generation, the second generation was directing their children in manners, respect, and when to perform heavy lifting. The third generation was left pretty much to play and be held at the elders whim.

I had forgotten now much my family likes to gamble. There was a permanent poker game going the entire time. Not being immune to the call, I set in on a couple of sessions. I came to a halt I found myself dividing my time exclusively between filling a plate and holding cards.

It was this and more. I will not speak to the unbound eating I participated in because I do not want to sully the great memories recalled and made. That will be a post for another day (tomorrow, probably).

-nn

I am the Pot calling the Kettle black

I do not know exactly when it started happening. The realization of my behavior just occurred, leaving me feeling a little unbalanced. I cannot explain it, I just know I started doing it.

The first time I realized it happened when I was out picking up food for yet another late night stint for work. I was going to a local sandwich shop picking up a totally sensible meal. In the strip mall were other grease-laden alternatives (which are getting easier to ignore, so long as I do not get a whiff of french fries). I noticed a guy getting out of a small car. Being a larger guy I noticed he had to heft himself out of the car and the car showed its relief by raising itself to its proper distance from the ground. This was a big guy. He and the driver were obviously going to eat at the grease shack to enjoy all of its trans fat goodness. Then it happened. I said out loud "Dude, like you need to go in there". For the first part, there was no one in the car with me, so I was talking to myself, so that raises some minor weirdness points. The major point of this stream of consciousness post is: "Who the hell am I to criticize someone else's food choices?".

What the hell was I thinking about? Where in my psyche did a thought like this come from?

-nn