A Much Less Picky Way
Can you imagine what it would be like if you had the opportunity to participate in something so original and so fun, but didn’t have a clue on where to start or the outcome of the situation at hand? For the past thirty days I have had the chance of a lifetime. I got to go on a quest where I was able to pick anything that was out of the ordinary in my daily life, that I could change, or focus on. Something that I could be empowered by, and motivated to deal with on a regular basis. I decided that I should try some new foods, in efforts to expose my taste buds to new and different cultures. Whether it was just to try something because I always turned my nose up to it, or because I just simply never had the chance to try it, I got to really open up my mind and heart to unfamiliar tastes.
Following my quest might have been boring to some, but for the person I was at the beginning of the quest, to the person I am now after the quest, I can truly say that I have found a lot of different menu options that are much more appealing to me now. When I first started my quest, I thought that I could eat food everyday from one specific letter of the alphabet. After approximately a week of doing so, I realized, “This is just a little too hard for me, let’s make this more simple and a hell of a lot more fun!”
Realizing what I had then known, a quest that started out extremely rocky, took a turn for exciting very quickly. When I first started my quest, I was your average eater. I don’t know if the term “picky” suits me very well, as I do eat a lot of different foods. From meats, to vegetables, fruits and sweets, I think that I cover most of the food pyramid very well. The main area that I don’t particularly float to would be seafood. I would like to one day figure out my phobia with seafood and the deep issues within, because I surely don’t think it is normal to not like any creature from the sea, simply because they are from the sea.
Going through the first week, I had several challenges that faced me. Did I actually have the will power to try something new every single day? Can’t I just eat what I normally get at Old Chicago or Perkins? I made an effort, every time that we went out to a restaurant that I didn’t get my “norm.” No, Susie didn’t say, “Pancakes, eggs – scrambled, bacon and a side of fruit.” Instead she said, “What’s new on the quest today Amanda?” That was entertaining because then I could explain my quest, what it is about, and the purpose of such quest to another.
About half way through the quest, I really started to notice myself changing. I was being more accepting and willing to gain these new tastes. I still knew that I had to incorporate the use of the alphabet, so I made sure that I tried something unaccustomed with each letter. From different beverages, to holiday fun, I tried something new every day that I thought I would never try.
Looking back and analyzing what I did and how I did it, I would have to say my biggest accomplishment was salmon. The day that I went out to the restaurant with my grandma and tried the salmon, I knew something was different. I really knew something was changing when I ate the entire slab of salmon and enjoyed it. Emphasis on the word enjoyed! This coming from a girl who grew up refusing to sit in the same room as someone who was eating any sort of fish – or stirred clear of Red Lobster on any date just because I couldn’t take seeing others eat something that I thought was so grotesque.
From that moment on, I discovered something about myself. I realized that this was no longer a English assignment or a burden. This was a chance in my life that I needed to embrace and take comfort in. The opportunity of a lifetime if you will. After trying all kinds of different foods, I realized I needed to make this a life-long journey. I need to face my fears and realize that there is more out there than just meat and potatoes!
The funniest thing about being a “picky” eater is it limits your options to almost near nothing. I could just imagine if I lived in New York City and had the chance to diversify my culturally challenged taste buds on a day to day basis with all the different chinese, vietmanese, lebanese, german, polish and every other specified cultures within a ten mile radius, it would be a lot easier. I have also read numerous articles that suggest that the food that your parents feed you as a child, has a lot to do with the choices that you make as an adult.
So at the age of 21, my mouth was budding with new character. Looking back on the person that I was thirty days ago, I see how I have changed. I was extremely shallow and unwilling to try new things, where-as now, I can actually be courageous and possess the knowledge and skills it takes to say, “Just try it, you might like it.”
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