Lunch is the Most Important Meal (June 1998)
One morning, some years ago, Rory and I were doing our usual morning scramble to get ready for school. Rory was a kindergardener at Melissa Jones School in Guilford and I was a junior at Southern Connecticut State University. Realizing we were running late, Kelly packed us a couple of lunches and as I ran out the door to bring Rory to the edge of the long driveway to get his bus, I tossed one of the lunch bags in his backpack. The other I put in my backpack.
My morning didn't get any better once I got to school. I had to rewrite
A paper, take an exam and defend one of my papers with a professor that
argued like a rugby player plays.
I didn't expect my day to get any better when I sat down with a
Newspaper and my lunch.
But then I opened my lunch.
Peanut butter and jelly sandwich, Teddy Grahams cookies, an apple and a juice box. Cool, I thought.
So cool, in fact, that the rest of my day was a breeze. It was like I had a jar of asshole repellent; nothing bothered me.
I went home after my classes and baked some bread between reading chapters of my chemistry book.
When Rory got off his bus and ran down the driveway, I went outside to greet him with a high-five at the door, but he ran right on past me.
"What's the matter buddy?" I said, following Rory into his room.
"My mom hates me," he said.
"No, that's not true," I said. "You're mom loves you very much. How could you even think your mom hates you."
"Look," Rory said, pulling his lunch bag out of his backpack and handing it to me.
Inside I found: a ham sandwich with chedder cheese, lettuce, tomato,
onion and spicy mustard; celery sticks; and a can of vegetable juice.
"Oh no," I said. "You had my lunch!" (maybe his mom hates me, I thought)
"And where's my lunch?" Rory asked.
"I ate it," I said. "But I ...."
"Arrrrgh," Rory said, "You both hate me!"
It took some time to convince Rory that it was an honest mistake and no one hated him. But, after that, I never underestimated the importance of a good lunch.
And I never made myself another lunch without Teddy Grahams!
My morning didn't get any better once I got to school. I had to rewrite
A paper, take an exam and defend one of my papers with a professor that
argued like a rugby player plays.
I didn't expect my day to get any better when I sat down with a
Newspaper and my lunch.
But then I opened my lunch.
Peanut butter and jelly sandwich, Teddy Grahams cookies, an apple and a juice box. Cool, I thought.
So cool, in fact, that the rest of my day was a breeze. It was like I had a jar of asshole repellent; nothing bothered me.
I went home after my classes and baked some bread between reading chapters of my chemistry book.
When Rory got off his bus and ran down the driveway, I went outside to greet him with a high-five at the door, but he ran right on past me.
"What's the matter buddy?" I said, following Rory into his room.
"My mom hates me," he said.
"No, that's not true," I said. "You're mom loves you very much. How could you even think your mom hates you."
"Look," Rory said, pulling his lunch bag out of his backpack and handing it to me.
Inside I found: a ham sandwich with chedder cheese, lettuce, tomato,
onion and spicy mustard; celery sticks; and a can of vegetable juice.
"Oh no," I said. "You had my lunch!" (maybe his mom hates me, I thought)
"And where's my lunch?" Rory asked.
"I ate it," I said. "But I ...."
"Arrrrgh," Rory said, "You both hate me!"
It took some time to convince Rory that it was an honest mistake and no one hated him. But, after that, I never underestimated the importance of a good lunch.
And I never made myself another lunch without Teddy Grahams!
posted by Kane | 6:40 PM
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