Thursday, November 11, 2010

Justification

A few months ago my partner and I were shopping for produce at the supermarket. He placed a bunch of bananas in our cart. I scrutinized them closely and asked, “Are there any organic alternatives”?

You see, at that time I had just finished reading Michael Pollan’s In defense of food and the notion that organic produce was not only better for the environment but nutritionally superior was still at the forefront of my mind. He smirked, rolled his eyes and insinuated that I was simply “jumping on the bandwagon”.

I, understandably, became quite defensive. It felt like my identity as a freethinking and independent young person had been shattered. With great indignation I proceeded to list all of the benefits to consuming organic foods and, once I had finished, I cited all of the evidence proving that I was anything but a “bandwagon jumper”. This conversation carried on until the dairy isle where, still deep in my diatribe, I opened a large freezer and selected a large tub of no-name chocolate ice cream, which I placed in our cart.

My partner interrupted me, “That’s not organic.” To which I responded, “Oh, ice cream doesn’t count.” He smirked.

After reconstructing the shards of my identity over the coming days, I realized that he had a point. I sometimes do things that others are doing and, as such, I suppose one could say that I jump on the bandwagon. But, to be more precise, I would replace jump with climb cautiously and bandwagon with some other less populated pull-cart. Let’s be honest. As an elementary school student I wanted nothing more than a Northern Reflections sweatshirt, only because most of my peers wore them. And then in high school I absolutely needed a pair of Tommy Hilfiger Jeans, only because the cool kids had them. As an adult, I bought a MacBook because it was pretty and my friend had one. I similarly ordered an iPhone without even understanding what it could do beyond making phone calls. This behaviour is clearly a simple manifestation of repressed childhood desires to be accepted by others fit in.

And I think I’m okay with it. So I happen to buy organic food that proports to be better for the environment and more nourishing for my body. I own Mac products that, despite their high price tag, are aesthetically pleasing, highly functional and may even improve my productivity. Maybe there is something to the bandwagon beyond simply being a mindless sheep following a heard. In some instances, adopting the behaviours of others around you may enhance your own life. Oh and, of course, it can facilitate acceptance by peers (repressed childhood anxiety!!!).

Which brings me to this blog. I’ve been interested in contributing to the blogosphere for quite some time. I’ve been partly inspired by the Ottawa foodie blogging community and partly by movies like Julie & Julia. Beyond sharing my ideas and inspirations with others, food blogging appeals to me as a way to stay motivated with regards to learning about food and cooking. I mean, come on! How can one resist getting into the kitchen when reading about others’ fabulous experiences with food and seeing pictures of their creations?

So there it is: an over-justification of my desire to maintain a blog. Whether its simply to climb cautiously on the bandwagon, to facilitate my own learning, or to be accepted by others, I’m convinced it will be an interesting adventure.

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