A Short Story

I just sat down to a very big meal, that I made for myself. No one else is eating, just me. I made tons of entrees and side dishes and fruits and vegetables and desserts and beverages. Everything I made sounded good individually from the other foods, but together it makes an unappetizing meal. I was so hungry, I figured I would be ok to eat it all at the same time and just kept cooking, ignoring what was already on the table. It all sounded so good. But now, as I sit here staring at it, It makes me feel kind of... nauseous. Except for the wontons... those still look delicious.

Sitting here staring at the mashed potatoes next to the bowl of pasta, I start to wonder if I should just put half of the food on a shelf in the fridge and save it for later. I start to question my decision making abilities as I look at the pizza next to the Mexican food. Maybe, I've made myself too much? I was pretty hungry. But even on a good day Mexican food and pizza sounds like a bad choice.

Some of the plates start to stress me out. The food is going bad. I need to decide what I want to do with it. Will it last long enough in the fridge or should I just throw it out and be done with it now? If I get rid of one or two of the plates of food, will the others be allowed to stay? What will my husband think of me for wasting all this food??

The more I stare, the worse it gets and soon I become overwhelmed by all of it and just want to throw it all out and sit on the couch and wait until I'm hungry again and then maybe have... a bowl of cereal - it's much simpler. But I can't do that now, I'm already buried under all this food. Before I have a panic attack I push a large plate of rolls onto the floor. Oops. It opens a space on the table and I can move the plates around so there is more space between them. The table seems less full and I feel less overwhelmed. I know the pizza will reheat well, so I put it in a ziploc and toss it in the fridge. More room. The Chinese food was a good idea but I'm not hungry anymore and it doesn't keep well so I'll just throw it out. Same for the Mexican and the mashed potatoes. And so on. Soon, the items on the table look more like a proper meal and I'm even becoming hungry again. I don't feel so encumbered and I can eat happily, the food that is in front of me, The wontons.

I learn a valuable lesson from my cooking spree. When I cook I can't ignore the table. If I ignore the table, I'll wind up with more food than I need or want or that I can eat by myself.