A Plan
Julie and I had lunch in a sushi restaurant yesterday. I had been there once but it was Julie's first time. We generally order different items so we can share. She had Dragon Roll and I had a special with soup, salad, rice and chicken. The restaurant provides chopsticks with each meal and forks on request.
As we ate we talked and the time passed. The food was OK, the atmosphere was acceptable and the conversation was mundane forgettable small talk. In my opinion, it was one of the most enjoyable meals we've had in a while. As I pondered why I was enjoying myself more than usual I considered the chopsticks. I'm no expert so we were eating slowly and there was more time for conversation. I noticed each piece of food and the small size of each bite. I began to wonder if the chopsticks were contributing to the enjoyment of the meal.
Today's lunch: salad and chop sticks.
Without much thought I made a proposal to Julie. "Let's buy chopsticks and eat exclusively with them for a while." She was agreeable so we stopped on the way home and bought a box.
My plan is to use chopsticks indefinitely. I'd like to become proficient. It's good for eye-hand coordination and brain stimulation. Most importantly, I think it may contribute to eating more thoughtfully, more slowly, with more mindfulness.
I like this plan.
As we ate we talked and the time passed. The food was OK, the atmosphere was acceptable and the conversation was mundane forgettable small talk. In my opinion, it was one of the most enjoyable meals we've had in a while. As I pondered why I was enjoying myself more than usual I considered the chopsticks. I'm no expert so we were eating slowly and there was more time for conversation. I noticed each piece of food and the small size of each bite. I began to wonder if the chopsticks were contributing to the enjoyment of the meal.
Today's lunch: salad and chop sticks.
Without much thought I made a proposal to Julie. "Let's buy chopsticks and eat exclusively with them for a while." She was agreeable so we stopped on the way home and bought a box.
My plan is to use chopsticks indefinitely. I'd like to become proficient. It's good for eye-hand coordination and brain stimulation. Most importantly, I think it may contribute to eating more thoughtfully, more slowly, with more mindfulness.
I like this plan.
posted by Paul at 6:00 PM
4 Comments:
Paul said: "I like this plan."
Tim Says: "ditto."
Paul, if I didn't know better, I'd think you were getting all "ZEN" on us........
I like this plan, too. At a Vietnamese restaurant last night I made a point of trying chopsticks. Wow. If I ate all my meals with them, I'd certainly lose a lot of weight! I'll try again, but it's going to take a lot of practice for these gnarled old fingers to get skilled at manipulating the sticks.
Hi Paul, Anonymous Julie sent me back to you after these many years of silence. Re chopsticks: knife and fork are slow enough for me. I start a meal long before My Dear Wife and finish long after. This stems from an injured esophagus caused by acid reflux, a diverticulum in my throat and hernia in my stomach.
But whichever way, eating slow is a blessing to be thankful for. Incidentally I've heard that the French often spend hours over their meal.
Blessings to you and yours in the New Year.
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