Hello everybody. I think this is the last post of The Next Twelve Weeks. I finished up with American food on Wednesday and sat down to a perfect Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday with my family. The following is a summary of things I have learned and things that weight heavy on my heart.
Wrap up of Mister Donald
Just so people know a little more about the last week or so, here is a wrap up. The last two weeks have maybe been the hardest for me. First off, as I said earlier, it hits close to home. People are living like this less than a mile away from me in downtown. This week, I got to see that first hand. It hits my heart with precision and breaks me down quite effectively.
As far as food goes this week, I ate the least amount out of any other weeks. There was no snacking, and I did most days with a three dollar trip to McD's and two or three rolls with a little peanut butter for the whole day. After about a week, I noticed fatigue and started really not felling well. My face broke out in acne and I had a constant feeling of unhealthiness. It was like a dizzy, somewhat nauseous fuzz. No fresh veggies makes a person fatigued, fuzzy and irritable. Not fun.
Thanksgiving Dinner:
What it means to me after The Last Twelve Weeks
It is hard to analyze everything that I have felt the last few months, and even harder to put it all into one small online post. I have changed and learned a lot, but have also confirmed and solidified what I believe about food.
When I sat down for dinner Thursday night, I tried very hard to think the whole dinner about what I am thankful for. It is cliche maybe, but i could only think of people. Family and friends who support me, teachers who are knowledgeable and teach me, leaders who are smart and lead me. To me, Thanksgiving is a reminder of the most important thing, the people I love and the grace I receive from Christ. There isn't mush more to say about it.
a prime example of Thanksgiving done right
Carts of Darkness, Click Here!
Go to minute forty for the meal, however the whole documentary is amazing. Please, if you don't read anything else, watch this.
3 lessons
1. Take a moment, even if it is small, and really think about what you are doing when you eat. Think about who you are with, what you are eating, what it tastes like, how it got to your plate, and how blessed you are to have that food. Even if it is beans and rice, the fact that you can curb your appetite and taste the tastes, and be with your friends or family is massive.
2. People are everything. Noting would be worth it in this world wthout people. A great meal is nothing if you can't share it. A beautiful painting is worthless without people to appreciate it.
3. Food is so so so much more than we give it credit for.
a final word: food is like sex
Food is like sex. Yes, you read that right, sex. Lets talk about sex for a while. Sex has a physical as well as emotional side to it. Ask anyone even half way grounded in some form of morality or another and they will tell you that there is a physical as well as a relational, emotional, spiritual side to sex. It is carnal and pleasurable, as well as passionate, emotional and bonding. Sometimes, though, we forget that and focus just on the physical side. Sex turns into an ugly, selfish entity: a perversion of what it was intended to be. We become entangled, lost, needy, selfish, obsessed. We constantly look for the next fix, perpetually enslaved by the physical desire, longing, lusting of sex, all the while ignoring and overlooking a vital, crucial aspect of sexuality; that is, the relationship, the love, the devotion, the commitment, the selflessness, the need, the nurture of a relationship. This is what we are truly searching for. It is masked and hidden by the ugly face of secular, 'get whatever you can' sexuality, but the desire is there, none the less, and we try and fail daily to get what we truly desire.
Lets bring food back into our minds then. Like sex, food has a very physical nature. But, even moreso with food, we forget that it has an emotional side as well. There is more to food than the taste.
Food is a gift from God, meant to be enjoyed, but also appreciated and respected. Food is a catalyst for relationships, with the uncanny ability to bind people together in relationships with otherworldly force. Food is a reminder of Christ, each bite a symbol of his broken body, each drink metaphor for his spilled blood, together an acceptance and reverence of his unwavering and overbearing grace.
But we forget this. I forget this. And food goes from something so magical and special, something so ingrained with meaning to something we take for granted, something that we are obligated to do, something that takes the place of relationships, something that hides our true feelings and is a quick fix for a dieing soul. Fast food and TV dinners, fancy meals alone and entire pizzas taking the place where friends should be. Ignorance of the effect chocolate has on workers, reliance on that cup of coffee or that bite of cake, idolization of a meal or a cuisine, reluctance to share a bite, sip, or penny for the sake of another's stomach, strict rules of organic or vegetarian eating, or wight loss dieting where we forget to pay attention to the beauty of food, but rather are slaves to the rules. We are all guilty not of one of these, but many. Food no longer represents a gift from God, a means of community, or an expression of grace, but is lost to the physical pleasure of the food. It is a gift abused, a gift misunderstood. By all of us. Food is to us all as sex is to the strip club regular. We see its power and goodness, yet overlook the deeper meanings for the immediate, physical pleasures it offers. A glutton has a lust for food, and we are all gluttons, just like we all have a lust for sex. It is less focused on, but equally as dangerous and as uncontrollable as sexual lust.
However, in this something must be said about the opposite side. Depriving oneself of enjoyable food is perhaps just as dangerous. A sexless marriage for example, even with an incredible emotional and spiritual side, is not a complete marriage. The two cannot occur apart from one another. In a marriage, sex without relationship is broken, while relationship without sex is broken as well. Likewise, a life void of good food is not life as it was intended to be, and a life full of food without the reverence and respect for it is also not how life was intended to be. They are mutually inclusive.
The last twelve weeks has opened my eyes as to how pivotal a role food plays in the emotional and spiritual aspects of humanity, as well as how often I forget to realize that. Food is meant to be enjoyed with people, with respect, and with the grace of God in mind. Apart from that, it can and will become less romantic and revelatory, and more enslaving and dangerous.
a prayer...
Lord, I pray that I continue to try and see food as a gift from You, meant to be enjoyed and respected; as a means to establish and nurture community in hopes that Your love may be seen in me; and as a reminder of Christ's death and the ever present grace from You that I so undeservedly and receive. I thank You that I had the opportunity and the blessings to be able to have such a journey. I am blessed with the money for food, the means to share it, and the support of an incredible network of friends and family who would really do anything to make sure I won't so much as get a scratch on my arm.
I pray that you reading now are open to the idea that food is more that just a thing, but that it opens the door to God and others in such a beautiful way. I pray that food becomes a reminder to you of God's unfailing, unwavering grace offered to you. I thank you for today, God, for the rain and the music from my speakers.
Amen.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
a talk on food
Last Sunday my church finished its series on the Seven Deadly Sins. Good stuff. Convicting stuff. This last week was focused on gluttony. Timely. When I think of gluttony, like most people, the image that pops into my head is a massive dude, unable to get up, munching on anything and everything. Grease dripping down his chin, watching TV, treating food like a drug or porn, totally immersed and trapped by an addiction, blinded to how it is killing him from the inside out, both physically and emotionally. I didn't really see myself struggling with gluttony. I weigh barely a buck fifty, and I have been eating poverty foods for the last three months.
Boy, was I wrong.
Whether or not you are into church, I think what I have to say is relateable to everyone. I want to talk about how food becomes the focus of our thoughts, of our day and of our lives, both consciously and subconsciously.
I am going to start with the fact that food is a good thing - no, a great thing. God blessed us with a reoccurring appetite and foods to curb it that taste incredible. We SHOULD NOT feel guilty about eating food, or eating a lot of food, or expensive food, or fancy food, or even eating food when other people are not getting a lot of food. Everybody needs to eat and should enjoy the delicious things God had so kindly sprinkled onto the planet. Of course, as with everything, there must be responsibility. Eating a ninety dollar meal every dinner is foolish, as is indulging only in sweet, unhealthy foods non stop, or ignoring how your food got to your plate, and the people or animals that suffered so you can eat that oyster or sip that hot chocolate. The point is though, that food is not bad, but rather something to be enjoyed and respected. And for the most part, I think people handle this rather well. There is a major shift happening with healthy eating, as well as turning to ethical meat and fair trade foods.
However, even in eating responsibly and healthily, it is possible, and often easier to live a "gluttonous" life, for gluttony does not only manifest itself in the overweight, out of control man. Instead, gluttony is when food, in any form or nature, takes priority in your life. It is not necessarily eating too much, but maybe eating too healthy, and that takes ultimate control of your life. Or eating only the finest foods, or only eating organic becomes the only thing you worry about, the one thing that is on the forefront of your mind. Or getting full, or having a novel food experience, or staying away form different foods. Food can take priority in thousands of different ways, into which the things that actually matter in life become second to the power food has over you. For a Christ follower, priority over God, people and relationships, and for others, priority over people and relationships.
Lets take eating novel food, for example. Portland is the capital of the nation for food diversity. You can literally get anything you want. This has taken priority in my life this semester on a few occasions. On Sundays for the last few months, I would sometimes eat a normal meal or two and take a break from poverty foods. The first Sunday of the project, I was so sick of Thai food. All I wanted was a normal breakfast. I looked online for the best breakfast restaurants in Portland, and I found The Original Pancake House. It was two miles from my house, and it is listed on the top ten for best pancakes in America. Ding ding ding! This was perfect, not only is it good food, but it is new and novel and I would be able to tell people I ate at the best pancake house in America. I was determined to go. I announced to my house mates, 'Yo, I'm going for pancakes Sunday morning, nine o'clock. Who is in?' No response. 'Dudes, it is the best place in Portland.' Nothing. They all had homework and wanted more time to sleep in. (Looking back, nine was pretty early.) So, in my stubbornness and pride, I let the novel experience of getting interesting food take priority over getting food with my best friends. Lame. And the food wasn't all that good either.
That is just a simple, rather inconsequential example, but it none the less shows how food can sneak its way into a higher priority. It can get out of control however, and have serious consequences. Obesity is one, but so is not eating enough. Food can rule your life in other ways, and it can seem like a taboo activity, meant to ruin body image. Gluttonous people often only eat a stick of celery for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Food, or rather, the fear of food is dominating their life.
Finally, there is the occurrence when food is one's source of comfort. A bad day is cured with a box of Oreos or carton of ice cream. Or cured by restraining from food. That is dangerous too. Or maybe cured with an expensive dinner or novel experience. regardless of how it displays itself, food often, very often takes the place of where we are to seek comfort: in Christ, in loved ones, in friends. Food is a quick fix and tiny band aid that often just covers up the infected cut, when the real issue can only be fixed by confronting a friend or crying to your mom, or seeking peace in the Grace of God. Food is great, but six hours later it is literally completely gone and we're left with the same felling of loss and the desre for true comfort. Food takes not just priority but in fact takes the place of the things that can offer us true comfort or joy or peace.
This brings me to my life the last three months. I have been living a gluttonous life. A very gluttonous life. Because I was eating so much food that I didn't enjoy, The few normal meals I would eat became the only thing I could focus on. I would dwell on the Sunday night dinners with the housemates, but instead of dwelling on how excited I was to eat with my friends, I was focused on how stoked I was for the steak, or the pasta, or the dessert. And throughout the week, I would seek comfort in the next meal, not in Christ, or friends, or family, or reading, but in the food. It was the end for me, the ultimate thing, the best part of my day. I would sit there and just crave the feeling of being full, or the taste of peanut butter, or the spice of Sriracha sauce. Retrospective thinking is the only way I have discovered this though. During the time, it was completely subconscious and skillfully hidden by means f staying busy or keeping my thoughts to myself.
I did however, try at least, to keep food second to people and to Christ. I think I did okay. I had slip ups and loosing streaks, but when I really at down and contemplated the food and the week, I really did appreciate the finer things. It was mostly when I wrote in this blog actually. This would have been a useless experiment if I hadn't written about it. I am good at subduing things until I am ready to think about them. Or Forever. I'm good at that too.
In all, I have learned and want others to know that food is an incredible thing, full of pleasure and joy, but is not meant, in any form, to take the place of the things that are more important. And even when we think we are respecting food, it still has an incredible power to sneak its way into our highest of priorities.
I hope this was at least thought provoking. I know it sent me into a tizzy for a few days.
Enjoy some food with your siblings tonight!
Boy, was I wrong.
Whether or not you are into church, I think what I have to say is relateable to everyone. I want to talk about how food becomes the focus of our thoughts, of our day and of our lives, both consciously and subconsciously.
I am going to start with the fact that food is a good thing - no, a great thing. God blessed us with a reoccurring appetite and foods to curb it that taste incredible. We SHOULD NOT feel guilty about eating food, or eating a lot of food, or expensive food, or fancy food, or even eating food when other people are not getting a lot of food. Everybody needs to eat and should enjoy the delicious things God had so kindly sprinkled onto the planet. Of course, as with everything, there must be responsibility. Eating a ninety dollar meal every dinner is foolish, as is indulging only in sweet, unhealthy foods non stop, or ignoring how your food got to your plate, and the people or animals that suffered so you can eat that oyster or sip that hot chocolate. The point is though, that food is not bad, but rather something to be enjoyed and respected. And for the most part, I think people handle this rather well. There is a major shift happening with healthy eating, as well as turning to ethical meat and fair trade foods.
However, even in eating responsibly and healthily, it is possible, and often easier to live a "gluttonous" life, for gluttony does not only manifest itself in the overweight, out of control man. Instead, gluttony is when food, in any form or nature, takes priority in your life. It is not necessarily eating too much, but maybe eating too healthy, and that takes ultimate control of your life. Or eating only the finest foods, or only eating organic becomes the only thing you worry about, the one thing that is on the forefront of your mind. Or getting full, or having a novel food experience, or staying away form different foods. Food can take priority in thousands of different ways, into which the things that actually matter in life become second to the power food has over you. For a Christ follower, priority over God, people and relationships, and for others, priority over people and relationships.
Lets take eating novel food, for example. Portland is the capital of the nation for food diversity. You can literally get anything you want. This has taken priority in my life this semester on a few occasions. On Sundays for the last few months, I would sometimes eat a normal meal or two and take a break from poverty foods. The first Sunday of the project, I was so sick of Thai food. All I wanted was a normal breakfast. I looked online for the best breakfast restaurants in Portland, and I found The Original Pancake House. It was two miles from my house, and it is listed on the top ten for best pancakes in America. Ding ding ding! This was perfect, not only is it good food, but it is new and novel and I would be able to tell people I ate at the best pancake house in America. I was determined to go. I announced to my house mates, 'Yo, I'm going for pancakes Sunday morning, nine o'clock. Who is in?' No response. 'Dudes, it is the best place in Portland.' Nothing. They all had homework and wanted more time to sleep in. (Looking back, nine was pretty early.) So, in my stubbornness and pride, I let the novel experience of getting interesting food take priority over getting food with my best friends. Lame. And the food wasn't all that good either.
That is just a simple, rather inconsequential example, but it none the less shows how food can sneak its way into a higher priority. It can get out of control however, and have serious consequences. Obesity is one, but so is not eating enough. Food can rule your life in other ways, and it can seem like a taboo activity, meant to ruin body image. Gluttonous people often only eat a stick of celery for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Food, or rather, the fear of food is dominating their life.
Finally, there is the occurrence when food is one's source of comfort. A bad day is cured with a box of Oreos or carton of ice cream. Or cured by restraining from food. That is dangerous too. Or maybe cured with an expensive dinner or novel experience. regardless of how it displays itself, food often, very often takes the place of where we are to seek comfort: in Christ, in loved ones, in friends. Food is a quick fix and tiny band aid that often just covers up the infected cut, when the real issue can only be fixed by confronting a friend or crying to your mom, or seeking peace in the Grace of God. Food is great, but six hours later it is literally completely gone and we're left with the same felling of loss and the desre for true comfort. Food takes not just priority but in fact takes the place of the things that can offer us true comfort or joy or peace.
This brings me to my life the last three months. I have been living a gluttonous life. A very gluttonous life. Because I was eating so much food that I didn't enjoy, The few normal meals I would eat became the only thing I could focus on. I would dwell on the Sunday night dinners with the housemates, but instead of dwelling on how excited I was to eat with my friends, I was focused on how stoked I was for the steak, or the pasta, or the dessert. And throughout the week, I would seek comfort in the next meal, not in Christ, or friends, or family, or reading, but in the food. It was the end for me, the ultimate thing, the best part of my day. I would sit there and just crave the feeling of being full, or the taste of peanut butter, or the spice of Sriracha sauce. Retrospective thinking is the only way I have discovered this though. During the time, it was completely subconscious and skillfully hidden by means f staying busy or keeping my thoughts to myself.
I did however, try at least, to keep food second to people and to Christ. I think I did okay. I had slip ups and loosing streaks, but when I really at down and contemplated the food and the week, I really did appreciate the finer things. It was mostly when I wrote in this blog actually. This would have been a useless experiment if I hadn't written about it. I am good at subduing things until I am ready to think about them. Or Forever. I'm good at that too.
In all, I have learned and want others to know that food is an incredible thing, full of pleasure and joy, but is not meant, in any form, to take the place of the things that are more important. And even when we think we are respecting food, it still has an incredible power to sneak its way into our highest of priorities.
I hope this was at least thought provoking. I know it sent me into a tizzy for a few days.
Enjoy some food with your siblings tonight!
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Coincidence? I think not...
It is not enough to just say that recent events are simply a coincidence. It is not enough even to say that some things happen for a reason. No, this last six days, events have happened that were not jsut meant to happen, but were intentionally set into motion for me to experience. Such events include
a birthday
a talk onpleasure comfort identity food
a small group
a paycheck
a collective anticipation
a birthday
My good friend Thomas turned 21 last night. We went out for dinner at Nostrana, an up-and-coming swanky Portland Italian restaurant. the evening consisted of food, alcohol for Thomas, conversation and incredible nostalgia of many kinds.The food was delicious and disgusting and, to Zack and I, quite hilarious. Zach ordered Salmon Roe and Trout Fettuccine. I almost did. Thank God I didn't. If you have ever been trout fishing as a kid, you know what salmon eggs look like. And smell like. They taste just the same. Zack and I were the only ones at the table with the childhood experience of trout fishing. I helped him finish his pasta. We shared laughs as we tried desperately to hold back willful gag reflexes. We finished it. He said he was taught not to leave anything on his plate. All I could think of a jar of fish bait with the words NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION written all over it. Definitely a night of hilarity.
Dinner was very special. It showed perfectly how food is a catalyst for relationships and community amongst people. We sat there for three hours, no music, no distractions, not TVs, just enjoying time together and enjoying the gift of food. Birthdays really are a prime example of the power of food. It was exciting to be a part of that after having thinking about it so mush these last few months.
a talk onpleasure comfort identity food
On Sunday (Nov 13), my church wrapped up a series on the Seven Deadly Sins. Yes, you guessed it, the final week was focused on gluttony. More about this later. Tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow we will talk about Gluttony.
a small group
I recently joined a small group with people from my church. We meet once a week, usually around some sort of food, and live life together. Stories, tears, laughs, struggles. All are fair game at small group. It is good to have a solid Christian community to share with, and be excited with. This week, we talked a lot more about gluttony, about how we all fall into the trap of food, and how food can be so much more than just a means of existence. A lot about my life was exposed Thursday night at group, but, more on this tomorrow.
a paycheck
This Thursday, I picked up my paycheck from Flying Pie. It was about 150 dollars more than I expected, plus tips. It may not seem like anything, just a few extra bucks. To me, it is not really anything. That sounds terrible, and I hold a great respect for money, but I have lived a life where $150, when you boil it down, is not to major of a deal, but rather, it is more money for me, that I will use to pay rent. Nothing more, just money. But that is it. That is everything. That it is nothing to me is in itself everything, which makes my paycheck everything. The fact that I get one, the fact that I hold a job, the fact that I can pay rent, live in a house, drive a car, pay for heat, buy tobacco, see a movie, choose to eat barely anything. That is everything. And more so, that people that eat barely anything, the people living a mile away from me, in downtown, are not choosing so (for the most part). They don't have the luxury and the comfort I have to know that even though I am living on McD's and bread, that I can stop whenever I want. Because I get a paycheck. Because it is bigger than I expected. Because it is not
I am not putting money on a pedestal here. Trust me. I really dislike the concept of money. Jesus didn't use it, yet managed to feed thousands. What I am saying is that the simple act of me receiving a paycheck is huge. This is an incomplete thought, but it just hit me strong this week.
a collective anticipation
There is a buzz about everybody. It is getting colder outside, the sun is gone by four thirty, the smell of wood burning fires creeps around the neighborhood. fall is here. But that is not the buzz. Thanksgiving is the buzz. But not the holiday,
the food.
Every conversation is centered around the anticipation of Thanksgiving dinner. And maybe it should be. It is maybe the most delicious meal of the year. The more and more I think about it, the more prolific the idea and excitement of Thanksgiving becomes apparent. Commercials, billboards, fancy coffees at Starbucks, all are waiting in anticipation for the meal.
More than the meal however, I think that people are longing for the community of Thanksgiving. I talk with students who haven't seen their families in months, young people who are getting together with old friends for the meal, parents who get to tears because they get to see their children. The food isn't the ends we are searching for in Thanksgiving. The end is people, the experience of sitting next to someone and knowing they love you, care for you and are thankful for you. Nobody wishes to be alone with their own personal turkey, bowl of sweet potatoes, and pumpkin pie, just eating. Maybe they wish for that on other days. Sometimes it is nice to go out and treat yourself to a burrito or ice cream or other guilty pleasure. But not on Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving, the holiday branded by food, is not actually about food at all. A simple concept that we all understand, but I often forget to embrace.
a birthday
a talk on
a small group
a paycheck
a collective anticipation
a birthday
My good friend Thomas turned 21 last night. We went out for dinner at Nostrana, an up-and-coming swanky Portland Italian restaurant. the evening consisted of food, alcohol for Thomas, conversation and incredible nostalgia of many kinds.The food was delicious and disgusting and, to Zack and I, quite hilarious. Zach ordered Salmon Roe and Trout Fettuccine. I almost did. Thank God I didn't. If you have ever been trout fishing as a kid, you know what salmon eggs look like. And smell like. They taste just the same. Zack and I were the only ones at the table with the childhood experience of trout fishing. I helped him finish his pasta. We shared laughs as we tried desperately to hold back willful gag reflexes. We finished it. He said he was taught not to leave anything on his plate. All I could think of a jar of fish bait with the words NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION written all over it. Definitely a night of hilarity.
Dinner was very special. It showed perfectly how food is a catalyst for relationships and community amongst people. We sat there for three hours, no music, no distractions, not TVs, just enjoying time together and enjoying the gift of food. Birthdays really are a prime example of the power of food. It was exciting to be a part of that after having thinking about it so mush these last few months.
a talk on
On Sunday (Nov 13), my church wrapped up a series on the Seven Deadly Sins. Yes, you guessed it, the final week was focused on gluttony. More about this later. Tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow we will talk about Gluttony.
a small group
I recently joined a small group with people from my church. We meet once a week, usually around some sort of food, and live life together. Stories, tears, laughs, struggles. All are fair game at small group. It is good to have a solid Christian community to share with, and be excited with. This week, we talked a lot more about gluttony, about how we all fall into the trap of food, and how food can be so much more than just a means of existence. A lot about my life was exposed Thursday night at group, but, more on this tomorrow.
a paycheck
This Thursday, I picked up my paycheck from Flying Pie. It was about 150 dollars more than I expected, plus tips. It may not seem like anything, just a few extra bucks. To me, it is not really anything. That sounds terrible, and I hold a great respect for money, but I have lived a life where $150, when you boil it down, is not to major of a deal, but rather, it is more money for me, that I will use to pay rent. Nothing more, just money. But that is it. That is everything. That it is nothing to me is in itself everything, which makes my paycheck everything. The fact that I get one, the fact that I hold a job, the fact that I can pay rent, live in a house, drive a car, pay for heat, buy tobacco, see a movie, choose to eat barely anything. That is everything. And more so, that people that eat barely anything, the people living a mile away from me, in downtown, are not choosing so (for the most part). They don't have the luxury and the comfort I have to know that even though I am living on McD's and bread, that I can stop whenever I want. Because I get a paycheck. Because it is bigger than I expected. Because it is not
I am not putting money on a pedestal here. Trust me. I really dislike the concept of money. Jesus didn't use it, yet managed to feed thousands. What I am saying is that the simple act of me receiving a paycheck is huge. This is an incomplete thought, but it just hit me strong this week.
a collective anticipation
There is a buzz about everybody. It is getting colder outside, the sun is gone by four thirty, the smell of wood burning fires creeps around the neighborhood. fall is here. But that is not the buzz. Thanksgiving is the buzz. But not the holiday,
the food.
Every conversation is centered around the anticipation of Thanksgiving dinner. And maybe it should be. It is maybe the most delicious meal of the year. The more and more I think about it, the more prolific the idea and excitement of Thanksgiving becomes apparent. Commercials, billboards, fancy coffees at Starbucks, all are waiting in anticipation for the meal.
More than the meal however, I think that people are longing for the community of Thanksgiving. I talk with students who haven't seen their families in months, young people who are getting together with old friends for the meal, parents who get to tears because they get to see their children. The food isn't the ends we are searching for in Thanksgiving. The end is people, the experience of sitting next to someone and knowing they love you, care for you and are thankful for you. Nobody wishes to be alone with their own personal turkey, bowl of sweet potatoes, and pumpkin pie, just eating. Maybe they wish for that on other days. Sometimes it is nice to go out and treat yourself to a burrito or ice cream or other guilty pleasure. But not on Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving, the holiday branded by food, is not actually about food at all. A simple concept that we all understand, but I often forget to embrace.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Day three...
Hey everybody. Just a quick update on stuff for the last few days. Today and yesterday have just consisted of a few bread rolls and a little peanut butter. I try not to eat more than four a day. It is hard. I am beginning to seriously worry about getting sick, or loosing wight this next week. I now it is only a week, but it can do some damage. Getting sick might be eat happens. Just bread and Macas might do a number on the ol' digestive system.
I know I am focusing on homelessness, however I wanted to share a little bit about poverty in general, mainly low income families. This is an article about a family with a few kids, that get by through food stamps and deals at super markets.
Part 1
Part 2
Pay attention to what it is that they are eating. There is a connection between unhealthy eating and income; namely, poorer people cannot afford the healthy, quality foods we can, and the food banks are becoming flooded with the unhealthy food we don't want. Also, just think about the food system in general. my favorite quote of the story...
"A gallon of milk is $3-something. A bottle of orange soda is 89 cents," she says. "Do the math."
Also, here are some figures for poverty lines and food stamps in the USA.
Food Stamp Info and Calculations
As far as what I am feeling, I am just trying to occupy my time with other things besides food. Sounds weird, but we spend a lot of time making food, eating food, and doing activities that are coupled with food. (Going out to eat, watching a movie and munching, ect.) I have been climbing more, reading more, and generally staying out of the kitchen, as to not remind myself of the wonders of the fridge. It is hard at the instant you want to eat, but once you start reading or writing or climbing, getting your mind off of food is not too hard. However, for me, I know that there is food for me if I need it. It would be a lot harder to stop thinking about it if I didn't know when or where I would be getting my next meal.
Talk to you soon...go enjoy a movie and snacks with an old friend!
I know I am focusing on homelessness, however I wanted to share a little bit about poverty in general, mainly low income families. This is an article about a family with a few kids, that get by through food stamps and deals at super markets.
Part 1
Part 2
Pay attention to what it is that they are eating. There is a connection between unhealthy eating and income; namely, poorer people cannot afford the healthy, quality foods we can, and the food banks are becoming flooded with the unhealthy food we don't want. Also, just think about the food system in general. my favorite quote of the story...
"A gallon of milk is $3-something. A bottle of orange soda is 89 cents," she says. "Do the math."
Also, here are some figures for poverty lines and food stamps in the USA.
| Persons in family | Poverty guideline |
|---|---|
| 1 | $10,830 |
| 2 | 14,570 |
| 3 | 18,310 |
| 4 | 22,050 |
| 5 | 25,790 |
| 6 | 29,530 |
| 7 | 33,270 |
| 8 | 37,010 |
| For families with more than 8 persons, add $3,740 for each additional person. | |
Food Stamp Info and Calculations
As far as what I am feeling, I am just trying to occupy my time with other things besides food. Sounds weird, but we spend a lot of time making food, eating food, and doing activities that are coupled with food. (Going out to eat, watching a movie and munching, ect.) I have been climbing more, reading more, and generally staying out of the kitchen, as to not remind myself of the wonders of the fridge. It is hard at the instant you want to eat, but once you start reading or writing or climbing, getting your mind off of food is not too hard. However, for me, I know that there is food for me if I need it. It would be a lot harder to stop thinking about it if I didn't know when or where I would be getting my next meal.
Talk to you soon...go enjoy a movie and snacks with an old friend!
Monday, November 15, 2010
And the country is...
Hello friends. Eastern Europe is over. Today was the start of North America, the start of the USA, the start of the most dificult two weeks of the project.
The next two weeks, I am going to eat what poor people in America eat. It is a bit more difficult however, to define poor, because I know much more about poverty in America than I do about poverty elsewhere. I only hear about poverty around the world. I get some facts, maybe a story, and see picture of a starving family. It is convicting for a while. It maybe prompts me to donate a few bucks, or fast for a few meals. Then I feel better. I feel like I paid my dues. I go make too big a snack, throw half of it in the trash can, and go back to living my normal, indulgent, numb lifestyle.
But in America, things are different. I don't just hear about poverty. I have seen it, felt it, helped it, contributed to it, experienced it, ignored it, and let it break my heart. I have spent afternoons playing football with homeless men, mornings in a house that has no furniture, running water or electricity. I have worked in food banks sorting out rotten and edible sweet potatoes and been to Walmart, seeing people pay with food stamps. I have talked with kids who aren't able to get food at home, gone to school with friends who have discounted lunches, seen members of my own community stopping at Care N Share to pick up food for Thanksgiving dinner.
The point is, what defines poverty? There is national poverty line, yes. $22,050 for a family of four. However, there are also people off of the grid. Vagabonds and street people that don't really fit into the system. I could follow two routes these next two weeks: that of a family under the poverty line, and that of a homeless person. If I were to follow national guidelines of poverty and food stamp amounts, I feel as if I wouldn't be able to feel as accurately the difficulties of finding food. The food stamp challenge is a legitimate thing, don't get me wrong. However I would want to do it for a longer period of time and really try to experience the lifestyle of relying on food stamps for sustenance. Two weeks would not be enough time to get that experience.
So instead, I have decided to eat the same things a homeless person eats for the next two weeks. I have spent a lot of time with men and women on the street. I know how and where people get their food, and the struggles, as well as the the simplicities of their situations. Here is a breakdown, based on my experiences.
Most homeless people live in downtown urban areas. That means the cheapest and quickest food is fast food. if someone can get a hold of a few bucks it can easily fill up a stomach at the local McD's. Also, people get discounted food from downtown grocery stores. Day old bread falls under this category. Food from trashcans and from behind restaurants is not uncommon either, however I haven't seen as much of that as one might think. Another food source is community groups and church groups. In New Orleans, Lucky said there was a group there every week with free lunch and water for homeless folk on the river walk. (You'll hear more about lucky and the river walk later) Finally there are shelters and missions that give free hot meals out, usually daily.
So I have some options for the next few weeks. I have definitely decided not to go to shelters and get free food, or get food from charities downtown. I can afford food, so I do not want to take it from someone who can't. Me being fed there means someone else isn't being fed that night. That is messed. I think that I am going to do fast food and discounted day old bread mostly. Near the restaurant I work, there is a supermarket that, I have heard, throws away old bread. I might take some buddies and do a little diving after dark. I am going to, however, spend as little money as I can. A fast food trip will be no more than three dollars, and only once a day. Day old bread usually comes in packs of ten rolls for a buck fifty, so I will buy one of those every few days. Here is my proposed daily food intake...
Breakfast - bread
Lunch - bread
Dinner - $3 at McD's.
Snack - bread with some peanut butter
Drinks - water is free, so lots of that. It also fills you up quite nicely, so I won't have to eat as much to feel full.
This may change based on advise from friends who I have spent time with downtown, but I feel this is rather accurate.
I think this section will be by far the most difficult. First off, it is an issue that is close to my heart. In the last year or so, I have finally allowed homelessness, and more so loneliness, to break my heart. Seeing it and immersing yourself in it is very difficult when you aren't guarding your heart. Knowing people intimately who go through stuff like this because they have no other choice, and knowing they are going through it now, tonight, is very hard. Tucking it in the back of you head and saving the thoughts for later is easy and comfortable, but it would defeat the purpose if I did this project and didn't allow myself to feel the pain associated with it. Also, I am going to really hold myself accountable these next two weeks. I have, as I have admitted, fudged a bit in the last few regions. I don't want to do that this time. I am going to write much more, and talk about everything I eat. Finally, this food is just kind of nasty. I don't know how McD's will sit with me for two straight weeks. I had it tonight, and I don't really feel well already.
Those of you following, this is the end all be all of the project. The hardest and most emotionally draining part of the project is around the corner. I hope it opens my eyes, and more so my heart, and I hope it helps you all see some of the things I will see and feel. Please keep encouraging me, and leave comments on what you all think I should eat. Many of you have spent lots of time with the homeless and poor of our country. Give me your insights!
Go enjoy some food with your family, in your house!
The next two weeks, I am going to eat what poor people in America eat. It is a bit more difficult however, to define poor, because I know much more about poverty in America than I do about poverty elsewhere. I only hear about poverty around the world. I get some facts, maybe a story, and see picture of a starving family. It is convicting for a while. It maybe prompts me to donate a few bucks, or fast for a few meals. Then I feel better. I feel like I paid my dues. I go make too big a snack, throw half of it in the trash can, and go back to living my normal, indulgent, numb lifestyle.
But in America, things are different. I don't just hear about poverty. I have seen it, felt it, helped it, contributed to it, experienced it, ignored it, and let it break my heart. I have spent afternoons playing football with homeless men, mornings in a house that has no furniture, running water or electricity. I have worked in food banks sorting out rotten and edible sweet potatoes and been to Walmart, seeing people pay with food stamps. I have talked with kids who aren't able to get food at home, gone to school with friends who have discounted lunches, seen members of my own community stopping at Care N Share to pick up food for Thanksgiving dinner.
The point is, what defines poverty? There is national poverty line, yes. $22,050 for a family of four. However, there are also people off of the grid. Vagabonds and street people that don't really fit into the system. I could follow two routes these next two weeks: that of a family under the poverty line, and that of a homeless person. If I were to follow national guidelines of poverty and food stamp amounts, I feel as if I wouldn't be able to feel as accurately the difficulties of finding food. The food stamp challenge is a legitimate thing, don't get me wrong. However I would want to do it for a longer period of time and really try to experience the lifestyle of relying on food stamps for sustenance. Two weeks would not be enough time to get that experience.
So instead, I have decided to eat the same things a homeless person eats for the next two weeks. I have spent a lot of time with men and women on the street. I know how and where people get their food, and the struggles, as well as the the simplicities of their situations. Here is a breakdown, based on my experiences.
Most homeless people live in downtown urban areas. That means the cheapest and quickest food is fast food. if someone can get a hold of a few bucks it can easily fill up a stomach at the local McD's. Also, people get discounted food from downtown grocery stores. Day old bread falls under this category. Food from trashcans and from behind restaurants is not uncommon either, however I haven't seen as much of that as one might think. Another food source is community groups and church groups. In New Orleans, Lucky said there was a group there every week with free lunch and water for homeless folk on the river walk. (You'll hear more about lucky and the river walk later) Finally there are shelters and missions that give free hot meals out, usually daily.
So I have some options for the next few weeks. I have definitely decided not to go to shelters and get free food, or get food from charities downtown. I can afford food, so I do not want to take it from someone who can't. Me being fed there means someone else isn't being fed that night. That is messed. I think that I am going to do fast food and discounted day old bread mostly. Near the restaurant I work, there is a supermarket that, I have heard, throws away old bread. I might take some buddies and do a little diving after dark. I am going to, however, spend as little money as I can. A fast food trip will be no more than three dollars, and only once a day. Day old bread usually comes in packs of ten rolls for a buck fifty, so I will buy one of those every few days. Here is my proposed daily food intake...
Breakfast - bread
Lunch - bread
Dinner - $3 at McD's.
Snack - bread with some peanut butter
Drinks - water is free, so lots of that. It also fills you up quite nicely, so I won't have to eat as much to feel full.
This may change based on advise from friends who I have spent time with downtown, but I feel this is rather accurate.
I think this section will be by far the most difficult. First off, it is an issue that is close to my heart. In the last year or so, I have finally allowed homelessness, and more so loneliness, to break my heart. Seeing it and immersing yourself in it is very difficult when you aren't guarding your heart. Knowing people intimately who go through stuff like this because they have no other choice, and knowing they are going through it now, tonight, is very hard. Tucking it in the back of you head and saving the thoughts for later is easy and comfortable, but it would defeat the purpose if I did this project and didn't allow myself to feel the pain associated with it. Also, I am going to really hold myself accountable these next two weeks. I have, as I have admitted, fudged a bit in the last few regions. I don't want to do that this time. I am going to write much more, and talk about everything I eat. Finally, this food is just kind of nasty. I don't know how McD's will sit with me for two straight weeks. I had it tonight, and I don't really feel well already.
Those of you following, this is the end all be all of the project. The hardest and most emotionally draining part of the project is around the corner. I hope it opens my eyes, and more so my heart, and I hope it helps you all see some of the things I will see and feel. Please keep encouraging me, and leave comments on what you all think I should eat. Many of you have spent lots of time with the homeless and poor of our country. Give me your insights!
Go enjoy some food with your family, in your house!
Saturday, November 13, 2010
The food...
Hello all. Its been a while. I'm sorry. I wish i could say I have been busy, but I really haven't had any obligations, I just have been enjoying some fun stuff. I am climbing a lot and I went to see Sydney this weekend. So fun!
Okay, here is a rundown of what I have been eating.
Breakfast: Kaiser roll
Lunch: Nothing, or a breadstick at work
Dinner: Noodles with butter, barley with tuna, or potato, barley and split pea soup.
If I snack I will munch on some bread, usually a roll.
I have been going to the market every few days and hitting the day old bread section. I can get ten huge kaiser rolls for 79 cents! And they still last like five days! I am going to do this even when I am done with the food project; it is just a good deal!
I have been thinking a lot about something I wrote last week. This area is a lot like the USA. People live in houses with electricity, or apartments in the city, and they function in an industrial, Western society (for the most part). It is really hard to get my mind into the fact that there are people that have a life similar to mine but are eating the bare minimum. I can get into if I know that the culture I am following are sleeping in huts, or live way far in the rain forest. You feel removed and distant, and you can embrace the food but not feel much emotion if you don't want to. But it hits very close to home when you know that the people go back to a house, and have the opportunities I have, but no way to take part in them. I can not separate the food from the living situation like I more easily could with other countries and regions. The USA is going to be a very hard two weeks.
Keep encourageing me. It helps more than you know. I'll post recipes soon!
Go eat a burger with your best friend!
Okay, here is a rundown of what I have been eating.
Breakfast: Kaiser roll
Lunch: Nothing, or a breadstick at work
Dinner: Noodles with butter, barley with tuna, or potato, barley and split pea soup.
If I snack I will munch on some bread, usually a roll.
I have been going to the market every few days and hitting the day old bread section. I can get ten huge kaiser rolls for 79 cents! And they still last like five days! I am going to do this even when I am done with the food project; it is just a good deal!
I have been thinking a lot about something I wrote last week. This area is a lot like the USA. People live in houses with electricity, or apartments in the city, and they function in an industrial, Western society (for the most part). It is really hard to get my mind into the fact that there are people that have a life similar to mine but are eating the bare minimum. I can get into if I know that the culture I am following are sleeping in huts, or live way far in the rain forest. You feel removed and distant, and you can embrace the food but not feel much emotion if you don't want to. But it hits very close to home when you know that the people go back to a house, and have the opportunities I have, but no way to take part in them. I can not separate the food from the living situation like I more easily could with other countries and regions. The USA is going to be a very hard two weeks.
Keep encourageing me. It helps more than you know. I'll post recipes soon!
Go eat a burger with your best friend!
Monday, November 1, 2010
Russia and Ukraine
Today I went to a market on the other side of town. I bought a gyro (yee-ro) and talked with a man named Avo. He is from Russia. He helped me figure out stuff to buy for the next few weeks. He was cool. Dark haired, uptight Russian men usually intimidate the skin off me. I don't know why. I think it must have been a movie a saw when I was little or something. It is definitely an irrational and unsubstantiated fear. I was nervous to talk to him and his wife at first, as they were busy and seemed to be in a bit of a bicker about the kitchen. I don't really know though, I don't speak Russian very well. Or at all. Instead, he noticed me wandering around aimlessly and actually aproached me and we got to talking. He was very helpful and supportive of what I was doing, and gave me a lot of information on foods. Thanks, Avo, for the help and the kindness. You are rad.
Here is quick, and I mean quick, breakdown.
Breads, grains, potatoes, pickled vegetables, noodles, minimal meat, canned fish.
Needless to say, I am a bit nervous. I'm down with breads and noodles, and new grains will be interesting, but the pickled veggies and canned fish are scaring the crap put of me. The worst part is all the writing on the cans is in Russian. It is literally Russian Roulette with food. Dang.
I am excited though. This is going to be hard, but pretty eye opening as well. Both countries are by no means Tropical or indigenous, and embrace modern lifestyles like us. They are industrial, and at least resemble the living style I am used to, versus highland Andean living or tropical living. I think this will be a good transition into the North America weeks; difficult, albeit good.
I will keep posting for this week, and I am going to try to get some recipes and pictures for you all as well.
Keep eating with your loved ones!
Here is quick, and I mean quick, breakdown.
Breads, grains, potatoes, pickled vegetables, noodles, minimal meat, canned fish.
Needless to say, I am a bit nervous. I'm down with breads and noodles, and new grains will be interesting, but the pickled veggies and canned fish are scaring the crap put of me. The worst part is all the writing on the cans is in Russian. It is literally Russian Roulette with food. Dang.
I am excited though. This is going to be hard, but pretty eye opening as well. Both countries are by no means Tropical or indigenous, and embrace modern lifestyles like us. They are industrial, and at least resemble the living style I am used to, versus highland Andean living or tropical living. I think this will be a good transition into the North America weeks; difficult, albeit good.
I will keep posting for this week, and I am going to try to get some recipes and pictures for you all as well.
Keep eating with your loved ones!
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