Slow Food

Tubac is the kind of town that if I were the kind of person who owned second homes (rather than terrified at the thought of owning even one) I would buy a sweet little casita here and work on my homemade jewelry skills.

There is a great restaurant here called Shelby's.

About five minutes after entering the restaurant, my phone died.  I had not brought a book with me.  I didn't even have a file from work to thumb through awkwardly as I avoided the gazes of other diners.

I panicked, trying to reason with myself that being alone with my thoughts and the food would be good for me.  I spend every lunch hour hunched over a keyboard, shoving nutrients into my mouth, barely noticing what is occurring. Many dinners are spent shuffling through email or hopping around Facebook.  Every breakfast is carried throughout my house as I eat while rushing to get out of the house.

I couldn't leave. I'd already ordered.

So, having decided this could be a Growth Experience, I observed the artwork, the décor, the view.  I noticed the way the perky server said, "PuttanESca" when describing the daily special.  I noted the various colors of napkins and the accents sported by the other diners.

By nature I am a rapid eater, and since I spend a lot of time at business meals where I am basically the entertainment, I have honed this skill to an art form.  I can talk endlessly while mindlessly consuming whatever is placed in front of me. It's a talent.

When my food arrived, I forced myself to chew slowly, putting the fork down between every bite, reminding myself I'm not "on." I'm dining alone and do not have to entertain anyone.

Somewhere between poking myself to put that fork down until you swallow and deciding if I'd rather have a glass of wine or a piece of cake, I realized I was completely relaxed.  I smiled benevolently at the server who seemed obsessed with my water glass.  Since I was not hunched over my phone, I saw a local couple smile at me as they walked by, and they stopped to chat for a bit.  I was present for the entire experience.  I could even tell you exactly what I ate.

I could even tell when I was done eating, even though there was food left on the plate.

Mindful eating is something I worked on for a while, but haven't revisited in a long time.  I think it may be time for that again.