There are some things that are so American that a mere mortal dare not mess with them. Baseball, apple pie and religious sanctimony come immediately to mind, but there are other traditions and values that are woven deeply into our fiber. Commercialism, hedonism and jingoism are almost as American as our beloved ballgames. Sure there are some great things about this country, but it isn’t really my style to accentuate the positive. I am American god dammit, and I will bitch atop my perch of privilege as much as I damn well please.
I cannot help but think of these American values and virtues as I plow through the leftovers from last Thursday. Leave it to a country with such a staggering gap between that haves and the have nots to celebrate belt tightening indulgence. It begs mention that only this time of year do we collect canned goods and volunteer at soup kitchens. The other eleven months of the year we forget those who need it the most, a sin I myself commit.
This year I contributed two boxes of stuffing to the office food drive, but still felt guilty about this hollow act. I know it is not enough. I do my best to eat all my leftovers, to pawn them on Annie Birdie, friends, and co-workers. I wrack my brain in an effort to come up with ways to use opened packages of herbs or half boxes of vegetables. Despite this effort, more containers of leftovers than I care to admit get pitched into the bin, uneaten. I cringe momentarily, but am quickly thankful for the space that has been freed in the fridge.
This guilt and acknowledgment that I could do more has lead me to make one little plea to my faithful (4) readers. Ok, two pleas.; I am greedy that way. First, and this is much easier, please do your best to eat the last of those mashed potatoes and green bean casserole remnants in the fridge; there are people out there who would happily eat them. There is no need for such waste. Second, I have made a commitment to myself to continue donating time, money and food to those who need it most after the holidays pass. I can feel warm and fuzzy through charity in my bathing suit just as easily as I can in my Santa Hat. Well, not my Santa hat–I would not be caught dead in one of those–but maybe my Christmas themed thong? Yes, a bejeweled reindeer on my crotch is more like it.
I hesitated to write about this, for I am much more comfortable poking fun at myself–or even better, at others–and I often feel very silly about how much joy this little corner of the internet brings me. There are much bigger things in the world than a well educated white girl snarking about gnocchi. I hate sanctimonious assholes and people telling me how to live my life. I will mention this just once and hope you think about it, even for a minute.
Tomorrow, back to complaining about how oh.so.hard it is to be me. And, God is it hard.
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Eh, maybe 5 was more accurate. I forgot about me.
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hey, at least you said something…. I think people feel the same way as you do and are too shy to speak up… good for you. Don’t worry though, I’ll def be eating all left overs… God I’m a fatty
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P.S
i also commented because you said you had two faithful readers and I thought the other one might be sick today, so I came off the bench…
holla
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BB: Thanks for remembering me.
VK: Appreciate the support. Holla back.
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All leftovers were finished as of today. I took one for the team and ate the last of the pumpkin pie cheesecake.
I think the best way to give back is to use your talents, so like you said, I think providing food for the less fortunate is a great way to use your abilities to help others. I’ve committed myself to knitting (yes, I know that makes me like a grandma) more items like gloves and hats for different charitable causes.
Great post.
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Michelle: That makes you giving, not an old lady.
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As someone who deals with the homeless and otherwise indigent population and have for many years, I commend everyone who will go above and beyond and think of those who aren’t so lucky. Also, despite the bad rap large corporations get (Starbucks among them) Papa Bear and I also do an awful lot of volunteer work with Starbucks to help raise money for homeless shelters/mission houses. Yes this is a shamelss plug, but I can live with it. Good on ya!
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