|
|
By Melanie Hendricks
(Version française: Trop de Choix?)
Simplicity is gold. No complications, straight forward decision making, no stress added. Where did this luxury go?
Ordering a coffee, ten people behind you in a hurry, taping their feet and checking their cell phone constantly, where the simple question from the staff “What would you like today?” brings on a waterfall of decisions to make in a split second, and often times, about flavors, sizes, options we didn’t even know existed. Ordering a warm drink on a cold day, turns into a three page essay of how much fat we want in it, milk, soy or goat milk, dark, medium, light, two shots, three shots? Small, extra small, medium, tall, grande, and that’s without listing all the different size naming conventions out there, (at this point, I have learned to just point at the cup size I want,) get the name wrong and they will correct your vocabulary in an insulted jiffy: “Ahhh, you mean Grande? Not large.” Obviously.
This world is losing itself in never ending pleasing manners. Dinner out on the town, looking for a delicious break from cooking and dishes, being served, trouble-free dining at its best. Until a rampage of questions hits you just ordering a glass of water! Ordering a steak, don’t get me started, it’s a minimum of 15 questions. It sure is teaching us to be more assertive about what we like, what we want, and also making us very picky, to a point where perfection is becoming a nuisance. You have to wonder how it is to be a chef nowadays, to customize every single dish and plate, and at times, going against the true intended flavor of a work of art.
We have too many choices, making us restless and rarely satisfied of the choices we make . I long for the days where a good meal is served as is, take it or leave it.
Maybe going to a small town is key? I believe we need to return to real values, real importance, and get out of our “please me at all costs” state of mind.
I raise my glass (…filtered tap water, Grande, non-tinted glass, with lemon not lime, no pulp, filled to the top, not halfway, crushed ice, not cubed, ..shall I continue?) to the dream of a simplified life. Getting out of our heads, going back to being less demanding and critical, and simply take life as it is offered. Might even dare to say “as the chef recommends it” next time you order a meal at a restaurant…
By Melanie Hendricks
Tragedy strikes, once more, and hope US leaders finally wake up about the gun laws in this country. The absence of laws to be exact. Not only were so many innocent lives taken because of a psychological problem gone bad, the US laws easily handed the weapons to execute someone’s illness plans. [...]
By Melanie Hendricks
Every kid on this planet should have good female and male role models in their lives. When parents divorce, let’s imagine only one parent is left to the task of raising these sweet kids, what happens to that equilibrium?
If great friends and family are close by and very present, it could [...]
By Melanie Hendricks
Thanksgiving is approaching fast. Even though this holiday is generally celebrated with family and friends, there are many other people, to whom we never give any kindness or attention to (even though we should) that could use a helping hand. Today, destiny decided I was contributing to this wonderful holiday with the [...]
By Melanie Hendricks
(Version française: Une Pensée pour les Sans-Abris)
Whatever country we live in, too many families and individuals are without shelter or food. I write this from the comfort of my home, with the extreme luxury of technology, and with a full tummy. I try hard to not feel guilty for what I [...]
By Melanie Hendricks
(Version française: “Élections: Jeux d’Enfants à Conséquences Matures”)
Elections are coming soon in the United States, such grown-up decisions to make, but played out like five year olds (no offense to the real five year olds.) We tell our kids not to fall under peer pressure, not to jump off the bridge [...]
By Melanie Hendricks
(Version française: “Des Moments Semblables”)
Horrific shooting in Colorado’s movie theater…in moments like these, we face our worse fears and anger, our worse pain and agony, we see the unthinkable happen and destroy, and we face humanity at its worse.
In moments like these, we are triple reminded of how fragile life [...]
By Melanie Hendricks
(Version française: “Partage avec Amour”)
If you are going to share something, share it with love. If you are going to spread something, spread something good. If you have to vent about something you dislike, balance your words with hope.
Every negative word out there, hurts. Every lash-out or harsh criticism, spreads [...]
By Melanie Hendricks
(Désolée, la version française va devoir attendre…trop fatiguée!)
One very windy day, I came home to see my one and only rose stem outside, which had grown at least 2 or 3 feet tall, completely thrown to the ground, holding by a thread to the base of the bush. It had grown [...]
By Mélanie Hendricks
(Version française: “On traite la merde comme du composte” (Robert Masters))
I burst out laughing reading this sentence from Robert Masters’ book “Transformation Through Intimacy – The Journey toward Awakened Monogamy”, as he spoke about dealing with the tortures and tidal waves we often go through in any kind of love relationship.
[...]
|
|
