Are you taking pictures of your food? Really??
A story of aversion and redemption
I confess. I’m was a member of the “I Can’t Stand it When People Take Pictures of Their Food” club. That was a rough period of my life because my wife, it seems, is a founding member of the “Take a Picture of Every Meal We Eat Out” club. I admit to being a reformed foodie bigot. I’m in a better place now and I wanted to share my story of recovery and redemption.
The story begins with any public meal. It doesn't matter if it’s Applebees on a Friday night or a romantic dinner on the French Riviera. There’s always excitement in the air with my family when we're eating out. As we wait for the savory meals we ordered to arrive, the anticipation builds. Finally, we see the waiter coming across the room. “Are those ours? Must be. We've been waiting longer than those people!”
Then, the moment arrives. The meals are placed in front of us and we start the ritual of admiring each other’s choice. Everything’s perfect, until… Here it comes. My face starts to flush with embarrassment as I see my wife reach into her purse. “Wait!,” she says. “Don't eat yet. I want to get a picture.” Ugh.
“Hurry,” I whisper in that tone I’m not proud of. I look around and my fears are confirmed with each pop of the flash. Here come the stares. The chatter at table 3. I'm mortified.
This is what life was like, until that fateful day of enlightenment last spring. The day that would change my view of “the foodie” forever.
My wife was at the computer putting together a picture book of memories from the previous year. As is often the case when these books are being produced, it’s an occasion for us and the kids to gather around the computer and reminisce.
We were having a great time remembering the fun things we had done the previous year, until the mouse hovered over a picture of a plate of squid from a dinner we had while on vacation in Vernazza Italy. Oh no! She’s not going to immortalize that picture in our nice photo album, is she? Click! And there it was, in all its glory. The picture was then upgraded in prominence as she clicked on the corner and dragged the mouse down and across the screen. You’ve got to be kidding me! It’s getting its own page!!
Then, something magical happened. My daughter started laughing. I thought she was joining me in recognizing the audacity of the move my wife just made. Nope. She was remembering our reaction when that meal was served.
The squid was so fresh that it looked like it was going to jump off the plate and wrap it’s tentacles around our arms like Captain Nemo’s Nautilus (sorry for the cryptic reference). We all started remembering how the kids were disgusted with each bite my wife took.
Then, together, we traveled back in time to after dinner, when we walked to the waterfront and watched as people jumped off a small cliff into the clear water where schools of fish would scramble with each plunge. We then remembered taking a swim ourselves and my kids freaking out because of all the fish swimming around us.
Then it was later that evening. We were fortunate enough to be there on a special evening when flower petals scattered across the square as a beautiful wedding procession passed us. As darkness fell, the beach is transformed into a soccer field and local teams play a beach tournament. We joined the other tourists and locals on the wall overlooking the beach. I could almost taste the glass of Italian wine and the warmth of my family from that night as we sat in front of the computer reminiscing. What a wonderful day that was.
That’s when I realized that my hatred of “the foodie” was misguided. How much negative energy had I wasted over the years! The fact that one picture of a plate of food can cause such a flood of special memories and emotions is something to be rejoiced, even supported. So, to my wonderful wife, I renounce my former allegiance and would like to join the “Take a Picture of Every Meal We Eat Out” club, if you’ll have me.
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