Yay. Grass.

In Michael Pollan's book, The Omnivore's Dilemma, we encounter many interesting arguments and discoveries pertaining to our food and how we eat that we may have never thought of before. The first one hundred pages of the book focused mainly on corn and how it plays a role in our lives, although we may not notice it. Ultimately, corn is built into many of the things we eat - and even the things we eat once ate corn before becoming our meal. All in all, we are a corn society, people who eat it far more than we expect, such as in fast foods.

The second one hundred pages of the book have to deal with the farm. Pollan had been visiting Polyface Farm and had noticed all of the animals that resided there but was surprised to hear his friend Joel say that he is a grass farmer. In here we can learn that grass is the foundation of our food chain and is extremely important although it may not seem like it at first glance. The grass feeds the cattle, chickens, and pigs that feed us. This should not be entirely surprising to us since it should be obvious that animals have to eat to, but it was a subtle eye opener to me. Usually, I don't really think about the process that goes into the food that I eat and I do not tend to worry about the animal beforehand, but this chapter helps us to see that the process is a bit longer and thorough than we might have thought.

There is so much work that goes into our food just for us to take a simple bite and to be satisfied. However, are we really ever satisfied? Pollan mentions in the text that we are never entirely satisfied by what we eat, but rather we are only full for the moment. We basically live our entire lives depending on food and it is a continuous, never-ending cycle in which we stuff our faces. I had once heard someone say that life is eating and I think I understand what she meant now. All our lives we eat and do so in order to live, but maybe we are just living to eat. We tend to do so without thinking so it's obviously a vicious cycle.

What to eat?

The Omnivore's Dilemma, written by Michael Pollan, is an eye-opener. I definitely was unsure of what the title itself was referring to. However, it became more apparent once I started reading, realizing that it had to do with what Americans eat and how they choose what they eat. As we can see, the dilemma itself is usually, "What should we eat today?"

Because there are so many things to choose from, it may be hard to choose something ultimately healthy. I have noticed that in my own family, when the parents aren't around, my siblings and I usually go out for something like fast food or something that isn't the healthiest choice. I find it interesting how Americans tend to eat unhealthy by default - something pointed out in Pollan's book. He mentions how we need government help in order to make healthy decisions when it comes to food, which is pretty ridiculous if you ask me. Food is one of the main things in our life, what keeps us alive and what we need to watch and monitor. However, people seem to not care too much as they continue their unhealthy lifestyles.

Something I found interesting which I had not thought much of before is the fact that Americans do not have a set traditional meal or cultural food that I can think of. Hot dogs? Not really your authentic meal if you ask me. Instead, the United States seem to have such a huge variety of foods that they have actually lost what their original meals are.

I find it interesting to read on how we eat since we usually don't think much of it when we do fill our plate and stuff our mouths. I'm looking forward to this book and hope it will be a good read despite how different it is from past works I've read.

Hot Caramel Mocha on a Cold Day in Autumn

 Her lips were slightly parted as she gasped for a bit of air, shivering while she took careful steps across the sidewalk.  Her body was just a bit hunched over, back bent forward as she tried to keep warm. The only thing she could do was hold onto the hot caramel mocha that helped to warm her fingertips. Other than that, only the freezing air blew around her, urging her onward while she passed a few parking meters. She didn't make it far before she was suddenly stopped, a stranger calling out to her from the side. Dread suddenly flooded her emotions as she wanted nothing more than to make it into the next building for warmth.

 

But that changed the moment she saw the charming smile of the handsome stranger before her.

 

"Can I help you?" she asked, tone soft as her eyes widened slightly, staring up at the boy who loomed over her due to his height, obviously a foot or so taller.

 

"I was wondering...where can I get change for the parking meters? I don't have any, but I don't want to leave my car here alone and get a ticket." The girl nodded in understanding, wishing she could help. Her desire to continue to her destination faded a bit as she couldn't help but to become drawn to the stranger.

 

"Actually...I'm a little unsure as to where it would be... But I have some change and I could help that way," she held out her coffee to the boy, giving a sincere smile, "Here, hold this."

 

The boy's fingers were long and slender, his skin pale in contrast to his raven-black hair. The girl took a moment to admire him through her coffee-brown eyes, pulling herself away from her distraction as she remembered to dig into her backpack for some change. Her cheeks suddenly flared up, feeling hot - much like the coffee that the boy held then. She cleared her throat moments later as she pushed the coins into the slots of the parking meter, much to the protest of the stranger.

 

"Y-you don't have to do that..."

 

"It's alright. I want to help," she smiled sweetly, finding it easy to do so despite how the cold wind had made her lips feel numb and her nose feel runny. She proceeded to zip up her backpack and stand up straight once more, holding out her small child-like hand for her coffee. The boy handed it back carefully, afterwards fishing a few dollar bills out of his wallet, handing them to her.

 

"I can't let you pay for me. You are so nice... Take this," he said, offering it to her. She shook her head and refused the money but ultimately gave in once she saw his determination.

 

"Okay... It's really no problem though. I don't mind helping this way." A few kind words as well as smiles were exchanged after she stuffed the dollar bills into the depths of her coat pocket. It wasn't long before the two exchanged numbers with shaky fingers - much to the girl's content, her heart skipping a beat. Her coffee felt as though it had lost its heat by then but she could care less, bidding the boy who was no longer a stranger - Benson - goodbye.

 

As she turned and took a few shaky steps in the opposite direction, her lips tugged into a pretty grin. She brought her coffee up to her lips and took a careful sip, allowing the sweet liquid to pour down her throat smoothly. Delicious. It was still a bit warm.

 

Of course, nothing had warmed her more than the encounter with the boy who would soon become something more than just a stranger at a parking meter.