Book cover candidate, lol
This picture says it all
I found this delight the other day as I was going through old photos. Now that I’m working on a manuscript about body image, this picture takes on a new resonance. I joke that it should be the cover of the book. It needs to find a home in the book somewhere, right?
I’m probably five in this photo, which would make it the summer of 1980. Obviously it was a hot day, as both Mom and I are wearing swimsuits. This happened rarely; we lived in the country, did not have a pool, nor were we a family who went to a pool. I don’t even remember having one of those little kiddie pools. I’m sure it was just a flippin’ hot and humid Minnesota day that demanded we wear as little clothing as possible.
I’m reaching for the refrigerator handle, no doubt looking for something to eat. I have always loved eating. I still love eating. I’m not a woman who is shy to eat around others, who will pick at her food in a bid to look “lady-like.” Oh no, not me. When I’m hungry, and I’m hungry often, I eat with gusto and I don’t care who sees me.
But that relationship with food was not, is not, easy. I eat when I’m hungry but there’s always a small voice that says, “not too much, now.”
I don’t know who took this picture—probably my sister. Or maybe Dad, but I’m sure he would have been working on a warm summer day. I look guilty, don’t I? Caught in a moment of hunger, of craving. I don’t know if the picture was a joke, like “ha ha, look at Rachael going into the fridge again” or if it was just a candid picture.
It makes me think of how much we comment on what people are eating (or not eating). What a nice world it would be if we all focused on just our own food and didn’t care what other people were eating!
I think we were more likely to "run through the hose" than lounge in any type of pool on the farm.
I have always loved eating and food, as well. A standout memory that made me "pause" was the first meal I had at Chad's. It was spaghetti and I loaded my plate like I did at home. And ate with gusto. Apparently, that was unexpected, lol. Us farm kids knew how to eat! And it was ingrained in us to clear our plate and not waste anything. That's still a mindset I struggle with.
Let's celebrate this snapshot in time! I love seeing kitchens from that era.
Right? Why do people feel so compelled to comment on the amount they are eating or others are eating? A comment like this recently caused a bit of a " knockdown drag out" between my daughters. The commenter said it was just a curious inquiry. The recipient felt judged, shamed, angry. We lost a good part of what should have been a great afternoon because of it. What a waste.