From hard experience I
learned that I am single at heart, a phrase borrowed from Bella DePaulo,
professor at UCSB, author of several books on singlehood, and author of the
column Living
Single at Psychology Today.
I would have spared myself much grief (and perhaps one or two others some grief)
had I learned it sooner, but better late than never. Much as I enjoy company, I
also enjoy that, unlike a cohabiter, company leaves. It’s important to my peace
of mind to be able to get drunk and crank up the stereo at 3 a.m. (I have no
close neighbors either) without having to negotiate it ahead of time or explain
it afterward to someone else. I don’t actually do that very often (the day
after isn’t worth it) but the freedom to be able to do so without consequences
(other than a hangover) matters. That example is, of course, a stand-in for every
other aspect of normal daily life: no negotiation or accommodation required.
Very relaxing. Once again, I’m not a hermit or misanthrope (well, maybe a
little of the latter); company is great, just so long as it is less frequent
than solitude.
There are nonstandard
practices that tend to creep into a single person’s life, and some of them
involve food. Meals tend to be haphazard and at any time of the day or night.
The first meal of the day (whenever that might be) could be a Stromboli and the
last pancakes. You never know. It depends on what is in the fridge, which is
not stocked to accommodate anyone else. Once or twice a week, though, I
actually go out to breakfast: typically with a friend (again, not a hermit) and
most often at The
Minuteman, a reasonably priced local spot with good food
including a variety of baked-in-house pies. (Someone there must be a fan of the
2007 movie Waitress.) Because of my
nonstandard breakfasts on the other 5 or 6 days of the week, the menu always
raises the question of why these particular foods are regarded as breakfast
foods. Yes, many diners offer “all day breakfasts” but “breakfast” is still right
there in the description with the implication that ordering one off-hours is
somehow bending the rules. The question arose this morning when I ordered the “Breakfast
Brigade” which has several of the usual items: pancake, French toast, hash
browns, eggs, and bacon.
The answer to the question,
of course, is habit. We grow up with certain foods for breakfast and it just
seems natural to have them in the morning. Yet, their initial arrival on the
menu is not so very far rooted in the past. Many have written of the bizarre
origins of corn flakes as a health food in Kellogg’s sanatorium. Sylvester Graham
(as in Graham cracker) was also a fan of cereals and strict vegetarianism,
which he thought would prevent masturbation. (You can’t make this stuff up.) Waffles
and pancakes, previously as likely a dessert as breakfast food, fit into the whole
grain prescription for breakfast. A counterattack on grains didn’t take long. Eggs
and bacon along with other meats long had been common on the farm, but they
became an urban breakfast staple as part a deliberate campaign in the 1920s.
Faced with a surplus of
bacon, the Beech-Nut Packing Company hired Edward Bernays. Sigmund Freud’s
nephew, Bernays is regarded as the founder of modern public relations and
advertising techniques. His 1928 book Propaganda
is still worth a read; he was in favor of propaganda because he thought common
folk were unable to think for themselves and needed to persuaded by those who
knew better. He managed to find 5000 doctors to say the high protein farmer’s
diet was right all along and included this “study” in advertisements. Bacon and
sausage sales took off. (He also helped tobacco companies sell to women by
associating cigarettes with suffragists, but that is another story.) Fruit
companies similarly promoted the health benefits of vitamin C in orange juice.
By the end of the 1920s breakfast menus were what they still are today.
However they got on the menu,
I like standard breakfast fare in the morning. So, I’m sure I’ll continue to
order it once or twice per week. If the mood should strike for a pepperoni and
onion breakfast pizza though, I can order one the night before and heat it up
in the morning. There is no one to whom to explain it.
Supertramp - Breakfast In America
I read where Warren Buffet has a sausage egg McMuffin for breakfast nearly every day. If it works for him that's great. He seems to be doing okay. I generally have fruit. In the summers I can vary that fruit more with melons, which I love. I like oatmeal too even during the summers. The oatmeal isn't just some instant, though I use that for starters, but I like to add apple bits, orange slices, yogurt, pomegranate seeds when available, blueberries, nut and so forth. I too am a creature of habit.
ReplyDeleteI guess I'm bonafide single too at this stage of the game. There are perks to both sides I guess. I heard Louie Anderson talking about being single, and he stated honestly he was a bit selfish, and I can agree to that as well. I can compromise, but I sure like not having to argue.
John Adams started each day with a tankard of hard cider. I am pretty sure that wouldn't work for me, but he was a key founder of a country and became its second president (or tenth, if you count the eight 1-year-term presidents under the Articles of Confederation) so maybe he was onto something.
DeleteAs for cohabitation, the very phrase "work on our relationship" indicates a second job. Not all of us want to work that hard. I suppose it is fortunate that some do.
Ha, yeah, point taken. However I think some couples worked harder than others. I'm not one that wants to work very hard (meaning I'd need someone without a lot of conflict), and that can be a two way street as well.
ReplyDeleteI've never been big into traditional breakfast foods... or breakfast for that matter. I'm usually not awake enough to enjoy it anyway. These days I usually have a bar or some trail mix and my tea. Lunch and dinner always had more interesting food in my book. When I do end up eating breakfast it is usually on vacation or if we go out to a restaurant with others for breakfast. Odd. I do like orange juice though. Just like oranges in general. :)
ReplyDeleteI never met a meal I didn't like, which is why I'm not as trim as Will Rogers. I know what you mean, though. Were it not for the social aspect (a few of my friends are big breakfast fans), I probably wouldn't go out for breakfast much. If counting calories, I'm likely to save them for lunch. But if not counting them, well...western omelettes, French toast, corn beef hash, pancakes and bacon...damn, I'm getting hungry.
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