Everyday Canvas

Food

Prompt: “I am not a glutton - I am an explorer of food,” said Erma Bombeck.
What are your feelings about food?
How much do you love it? Or do you fear it?

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Fact is, there are times when I am just a glutton. I have a friend who relates a glutton to gluten. Not right, gluten is to be honored, and in my food pyramid, it is the king or if you wish, the pharaoh. Mind you, not all pharaohs sinned.

Not all food is gluten either. Infinite number of foods and their combinations exist and this variety is one of the reasons I love it so. Food gives meaning to life, and it pulls people together. Food is hope, love, comfort and compassion. It is our daily sustenance and a lot more than that. Food defines our lives. Can you recall any meeting or party where food was absent? And if it were, didn’t the people who attended look upset?

Just imagine a serious lack of food. Wouldn’t it give way to street protests, sit-ins, and eventually chaos? When I look at this scenario, I can easily see that the lack of food, like the abundance of it, easily unites people. ~~As an aside, maybe we should try this ploy on the congress. ~~

Many cultures are brought together by the love of food. Through joys or sorrows, food is the one thing that can unite people in times of need to cause new unions and friendships. Even the last meal of an inmate on the death row shows the grace and compassion of a culture, whether you agree with capital punishment or not.

As for me, I like all tastes: sour, bitter, hot, greasy, sweet, whatever. I always had an admiration for food, and whenever I can, I try new ethnic dishes either in restaurants or by cooking them myself. I can't see how anyone can fear food, as if it were a cardinal sin. Even if it were, I'd rather sin than not enjoy my food and my life.

Plus, I adore gluten, too.