What a privilege it is to live in a time and place where I don’t need to grow or cook my own food. Even as a poor graduate student I can purchase cheap take-out or microwaveable food. I’m still amazed that I can buy a $5 sandwich with meat from three different animals. We have come a long way from the times of hunters and gatherers. We’ve even come a long way from eating produce from local farms. I was raised to acknowledge this as a luxury but I’m starting to realize how harmful this disconnect from my food can be.
There is no doubt that I save time by purchasing prepared food, but I’m wondering if I’m giving away one of the most wholesome activities we have. Growing produce, making a meal with metta, and serving it to someone is a very intimate act. When food passes through a dozen hands before being consumed this personal connection to our food and the people in our lives is lost. This time we spend cooking and cleaning for ourselves and others can be energetically powerful, I think.
The problem I’m having is I can’t get over the luxury of free time. While intellectually I can’t think of a more wholesome way to spend my time my habit pattern is to take advantage of the freedom to be lazy. I know that I’ll eat healthier food when I shift my food patterns but its been a harder shift than expected. My mind knows the better, healthier path to take but I keep taking the easy way out. Maybe with time I’ll slowly shift this pattern. Time to meditate.
