Consider the tools we use to consume our food. I predominantly ate with my hands, gold plastic party utensils, and chopsticks for a moment of time.
If the expression is “home is where the heart is,” then this beautiful 100 year old historic home was the external expression of my heart.
The bones of this home were wood and plaster and everything in the kitchen was within an arm’s reach. My farmhouse sink stayed mostly clean, because I simply did not have much to fill it with. Funds were tight.
I bring attention here, as this may be a place where there is less focus.
The tools we use are one of many bridges to receiving nutrients, and pausing for a moment to understand how we sculpt our experience can give us another perspective about food.
Think of gatherings where a family’s traditional celebratory food is happily consumed with plastic cutlery, while if the same tools were given at a high end restaurant, our enjoyment of the cuisine may be altered. Just a thought.
I was on a date the first time I encountered chop sticks. The presenation of food was artistic and enticing. My hunger level high and my ability to grasp my food with chopsticks was low. I felt defeated by the cuisine when I asked for a fork. I was in middle school out west when I had my first meal where no utencils were present. Cleansing of the hands occurred and thin flat pieces of bread served as my utencils. This was fun, and socially exceptable within these walls.
Societal and cultural values play a role when it comes to the tools we use, when, and why to. This is a place for you to explore. The freedoms or restrictions that are woven within you and how you consume your food.
There are times when we focus on this aspect and times when we do not. Does it depend on who we are with, what we are celebrating, our cultural beliefs, or the amount of money we have to spend? Does the way in which we consume food affect our satisfaction?
It wouldn’t be until a friend gifted me with a travel pack of silverware, and then a year later I was gifted a traditional set of silverware, that I became “equipped” with what one may need to enjoy a meal. But I was already reset into my new normal. I found joy in using what I had, and what I was without did not impact my joy and appreciation for my meals.
What are the tools you use to consume food?
Stay inspired,
Erica