Moving back home has been a humbling experience to say the least. A lot gets processed in a matter of minutes on a daily basis. Running into old flames and friends is a constant as well as having to tell my "story" over and over again can get a bit tiresome. But I am home, the place that i grew up and that helped mold and form me into who I am today.
One thing about being home is i get to partake in a lot of the traditions that i missed out on while traveling and begin else where. a lot of my family traditions revolve around the table, and that is what i am getting back to, what is on our table. What are we eating? are we really going to be concerned with how we wear our pants but not what we put in out body ( Florida State house of Reps just passed a new law saying sagging pants are no longer allowed, but the will let kids eat empty calories and processed foods for lunch). we need to know what we are eating and where it comes from.
I have been very lucky, i have traveled and seen the world. When i travel on airplanes i often indulge in trashy magazines. Nothing makes time fly as impractical fashion advice, first date stories, and of course the always diet do's and dont's. What you should eat to melt the fat away,and have more energy. There was an article on DANGER FOODS, hazards of hidden calories. I felt as i was reading this article i was about to loose sleep for the smoothie i was drinking, made of all fresh fruit and yogurt, had 800 calories in it. Are we really afraid of stuff that is here to sustain life? knowing where our food comes from? Yes we are! We are a culture of TV dinners and neon blue Jello. As far removed as most of us are from the growing and preparing of food, it make sense that food is seen as the enemy. It is very natural to fear the unknown.
The first step towards valuing and trusting food is... well... eating food, and eating food that has some integrity. People who hold their traditions of food preparations and presentation in high regard don't tend to bargain shop for cheap calories. Associating food with emotional comfort can lead to a life of scary habits and pitfalls, if the training ground is a candy bar for good grades, and a sucker for bravery during a booster shot. But there are other ways to go. Some of my happiest memories involve making and eating elaborate meals for special occasions. Food turns events into celebrations. It's just not about the food, but the experience of creating and consuming it. People need families, friends and communities for this kind of experience. Kids need parents, or some kind of guide, to lead them toward the food routines our bodies need. Just knowing the process of food production generates both respect and a great sense of clam about the whole idea of dinner.
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