No Fry Zone

It's been over a month since I've updated. Is this because I have not consumed any french fries? Of course not! Any who knows me would know how preposterous such a thought would be. The causes of my silence, and there are a few, are these:

1. Lack of Time. While I find the time to eat french fries, the consumption usually takes place while I am doing work, or in the 20 min. breaks I allow myself. the thought of then writing about my dining experience adds an additional item to my to-do list and more stress to my day.

2. Lack of New Places. I am terrible about trying out new places. In the past few months, I have simply been eating french fries from places that I know and love. And because I am consuming them as a source of comfort, I am not reflexively thinking about my experience or the quality of the fry. I am simply enjoying them in the moment.

This experience actually reminds me of debates I hear among friends about experiencing live music. At the extremes, there are those who hate to take pictures/recordings of the show and those who love it. Those who hate the picture-takers believe that we should all fully enjoy the concert experience, and that something gets lost when we are focusing on trying to remember the experience instead of simply living it. Then there are the others who love to document such things, and claim that not only does it not inhibit their enjoyment of the show, but it allows them to re-live it time and time again.

Since beginning this quest, I have realized that I am in the first group when it comes to eating. While the experiences are not an exact comparison (taking a picture of my fries will not cause me to miss out on eating them) I believe there are some similiarties. When I eat, I like to simply experience the food. To enjoy it simply for the taste and not think about all the reasons why I do or do not like it. To think about my eating as I am eating has the potential to ruin the simple joy of the eating experience. Instead of feeling the wonderous, salty, greasy tastes, I am thinking about objective qualities (such as saltiness and texture) so that I can remember, and describe to you, my experiences at a later point in time. While this is useful, and especially since that's the main point of this blog, I can't help but be afraid that this quest will taint my pleasure.


3. Lack of Creativity. A side purpose for my starting this blog is for me to practice writing. I am a terrible writer, especially when it comes to my academic work. I have been told many times that my ideas are good, but that I do not successfully communicate them in written form. One way to correct this problem is to write more often. Another way to improve the quality is to practice writing in a less formal manner. To write as if I am speaking and not get lost in pretentious jargon that ruins clarity.

What does this have to do with lack of creativity? Well, because of this side purpose, I have been trying to think of ways to creatively describe my dining experiences. However, in my head, I sound boring. Am I really writing a blog that only entails statements such as, "These fries were good. This is the score I give my experience?" I need to be better than that. But when lack of time is combined with lack of new places, I find myself stuck in a dull, dull world.

So the solutions? I will try and experience new places. I will try and be more reflexive about my experiences. I will also try to find time to write about them more frequently. However, I will not continue to limit myself to talking about fries. I don't want to bore myself, or you. So while I will be continuing on my quest for the best fries in Nashville, and updating on that quest as necessary, I will also be writing about whatever inspires me, fry-related or not.

Today's wit: I decided that becoming a vegetarian was a missed steak.