Lately, I can't get it in two areas of my life, and it's making me think that the conscious process towards gratification that often is undervalued and overlooked.
Usually, if w
e have a food need, the solution is quite simple. Need ketchup. Go to grocery store. Buy ketchup. Satisfied. One of my little vegetarian needs is Tofurky sandwich slices. They're delicious, come in a wide variety of flavors (My favorites are Italian and Hickory Smoked), and they give me another option besides a garden burger or a hummus sandwich for lunch. But the problem is, I can't find a grocery market near me that sells Tofurky. Even at the big Stop and Shop 15 minutes away from me sells only Smart Deli slices, which, as someone who remembers the taste of meat from younger years, taste like bologne no matter what flavor you get. Yum. Except not. Not yum at all. (What is in bologne, anyway?)So I trekked to Whole Foods in Manhattan recently to pick up some Tofurky, and felt Flatbush had let me down. I had to go all the way to Union Square for deli slices?
But the thing is, not having it immediately when I wanted it didn't hurt me. I got to have my favorite Wheatberry Waldorf Salad while I was at Whole Foods, and in the meantime, I just had a hummus sandwhich, and I happen to have my hummus sandwich recipe down: since I'm not vegan, I just put a layer of shredded parmesan cheese on the hummus, layer it with sliced cucumbers and shredded carrots, or, as I had the other day, carrot chips for a nice crunch. It's a killer meal. And anyway, now that I have to trek for Tofurky, I find I appreciate it more. I prepare my sandwich more carefully, and enjoy it more slowly. So, Flatbush not carrying Tofurky, in a way, helps make me a more mindful eater.
It's like the guitar I'm trying to learn lately. As I type this, the four fingers of my left hand feel like they have third degree burns. I've been told that as soon as I get calluses, it will be clear sailing. But for now, I'm consciously pushing down my raw fingertips on thin wires. Ouch. I know the calluses are coming in, but slowly, nearly as slowly as my skills (my husband had to deal a couple days ago with hours on end of me singing "Let It Be" and twanging away at what are supposedly the chords to the song.) But trust me, I won't take those calluses for granted when they do come in. Not for a second.
I guess the summary of it is: never settle for instant gratification, don't take a good thing for granted, and be mindful of the end in the beginning. Or, in simpler terms: Don't buy Smart Deli. Trek for Tofurky.
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