Eating Alone

Eating, a requirement for survival. To fuel the body and maintain existence.

But eating is more than consumption, it is a social activity.

To prepare and cook food is a creative process, but cooking for one is not rewarding.

The past year I have rid the house of cookbooks, appliances, plates, utensils, and other devices of the preparation of food, thinking I would not use them and someone else could appreciate and utilize them.

Then I went through all of my favorite fantasies as a little kid in a candy shop. Ice cream and cake, cookies, exotic dishes, old favorites, variations of staples and untried recipes, only to find none were as tasty as I thought they were.

The preparation took time and made a mess that had to be cleaned up. The amount of food was overwhelming and had to be stored. And though I realized I could eat the same thing everyday, I became bored with the whole process.

My palate had become simplified to bland food spiced with hot spices and washed down by water. A meal had to be easy, requiring one cup or bowl or plate. To make the portions seem larger, using small child size utensils I found made the meal last longer.

Even the take out fast food stops became a bore. I even went to a restaurant and ate a meal by myself. That was pitiful.

Eating should be done others. Sharing the experience is more than filling the stomach, it is tasting and complimenting and enjoying of the company of food and fellowship.