Open Hunger

There is a sensation that affluent Americans experience when they skip one or possibly two consecutive meals. I felt it today.

I left the house this morning in a bit of a rush having consumed only a couple of cups of coffee. When I got to the office things started up right away so I didn't have time to lounge around. Later, when I passed through the main office, I looked over the selection of Vendor donuts and just kept walking. Errands to run on my "lunch" hour pushed my schedule back even further.

On the way back to the office I did manage to grab a Veggie Sub. That is when I felt that sensation. It wasn't a pain or a pang. It wasn't really uncomfortable. It was just a mild sense of ... hunger.

But more important was the sense of relief. A sense of being unburdened. I was not engaged in a food process just because it was a particular time of day. I was not mindlessly pushing just another meal into my face. I was involved in a marked celebration of culinary and sensual delights. A completion of a circle.

eat when you are hungry
sleep when you are tired
...
chop wood
carry water