Each time I write an article, a paragraph, a sentence, I invest all of myself. Each word that I write or type is a direct reflection of myself, in one way or another. This week the luck of the draw meant that I would write something with a focus around food and drink. The issue? My relationship with food stems from an uncomfortable place; in which I find myself tending to avoid the topic overall. I’ve been a picky eater as long as I can remember, and although my taste buds have grown to accommodate more flavor pallets over time, I often find myself stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to eating out or finding options that I am willing to consider. Truthfully, through the past few years I have made immense progress in pushing myself to try new things that I would have never remotely considered prior.
I believe the effort I have put in to better my health and nutrition has grown from a place of fear. Having a looming anxiety around a basic human function that is so crucial to basic life creates difficulties in ways that many people could never imagine or even begin to fathom. If asked, I can confidently say I cannot count on all of my digits, between my fingers and my toes, the amount of times that I have felt excluded, mocked, or insecure about the things that I don’t feel comfortable eating, which as a result creates an unhealthy distance and sense of isolation. Having consistent feelings like such is not the ideal way of living, but sometimes things are the way they are, and you must accept them as they come. I say that things should be accepted as they come because of a principle that I live by and continue to live by that everything happens for a reason, and by this, I mean that progress is a never-ending and unique concept that is difficult. And it has been difficult, but in reality, it has only made me stronger.
Food has always been a big deal, though this shouldn’t come as a surprise to most since food often brings people together; it acts as a common ground because exists is the basic fact: everyone needs food. With this in mind, I don’t expect anyone to be able to fully understand or relate to the idea of viewing such a bare human necessity as so complex with such fragility. When I sat down to write this article that had been lingering in the subconscious of my mind, I felt trapped because I didn’t want to lie. I didn’t want to type up some foodie article that I wasn’t proud of or entirely supported; I didn’t want to falsely portray the image of someone that I was not. I wanted to show my true colors in their most raw form because I am proud of the progress I have made thus far. Even though its uncomfortable, being able to accept and discuss my awkward relationship with food has only made me more confident in myself.