Feed Me!

We have discussed appetites in a previous entry and the appetites of which we wrote are all of them, the sensual pleasures that are sought.  As long ago as Aristotle, the need for moderation was seen.  As one looks around the world today, one can see that many, many individuals have thrown out the notion of moderation.

Evidence to support this is observable in obesity, alcoholism, drug addiction, sexual addiction, addiction to tobacco and the nicotine contained therein, dependency and, just to sum it all up in religious terms, unbridled participation in the deadly sins of envy, gluttony, greed, lust, pride, sloth,  and wrath.

It isn't difficult to slip into this chasm of self-indulgence; it is encouraged by people who are selling things.  A whole profession, marketing, has sprung up with the specific intention of creating a desire for products and services; making it seem not only alright but downright advantageous to get whatever they are selling.  Just like at casinos, there are a number of people who succumb to the message in a fruitless effort to satisfy some missing ingredient in their life.

On the other hand, there is a mechanism in our brain-body that signals a need for something.  It can be on any level, intellectual, emotional, moving, social, sexual, or instinctive and it can be real.  It is when this need is felt that some action is taken.  When the being senses that safety and/or security is threatened it’s like a WWII navy movie when the command, "Man your battle stations!" is heard.  And even this response is emotional. Observing all of the actions taken, it is seen that the motivation for action is emotional. 

This is not a secret.  Salespeople the world over know that decisions to buy (act) are made emotionally; sell the sizzle not the steak, what color would you like it to be.  Yes a need is being satisfied, even if it is artificially stimulated, but the motivation to satisfy it is emotional. 

The emotional source is closely linked to the five senses of touch, taste, smell, sight, and sound.  And what need do we meet most frequently?  To eat.  The need for nutrition; we eat three, four, or five times every day of our lives.  We get hungry and we use any means available to satisfy that need and we use all of our senses to do it.

Hunger can stem from a nutritional need, and/or memory, a smell or picture recalls to us how great s.t. tasted; it can stem from a need for fats, carbohydrates, proteins, certain vitamins, minerals, and bulk that are lacking and signals via suggestions come to us to eat this or that.

A large segment of our society continues the age old industries of production, processing, marketing, distribution, preparation, and serving food.  And they do it using all the senses to gratify, satisfy, sate the hunger that each of us feels daily.

It is an interesting chain of events that leads to the table.  The farmer looks at a field of weeds but imagines the possibility of neat rows of vegetables, or looks at grazing land and imagines a herd of meat animals, or knowing the results plants an orchard for fruit or nuts.  His imagination starts with sight and he sees the results before even beginning the process and his harvest proves his vision to be correct.

Butchers look at animals on the hoof and imagine carcasses to be carved into cuts of meat that please the eye of the shopper.  Green grocers see bushels and piles and imagine the fruits and vegetables arranged attractively to please the eye of the shopper.  Processors buy bulk quantities of foodstuffs and produce colorful packages to attract the eye of the shopper.  Once more sight is the sense that is used to attract.

The cook selects meats, vegetables, fruits, fats, and staples that he/she knows are necessary for the preparation of the meal.  The selection at the market is based on sight, then touch, then smell.  Once the tests are satisfied, the foodstuffs are taken to the kitchen where the meal is prepared.

Sight, touch, taste, smell, and even hearing from time to time are used by the cook as the meal is prepared.  To achieve the desired end result he relies on his knowledge and experience as his senses affirm the satisfactory preparation of the meal.

Enter the diner.  Invited to a room that is suitably furnished with attractive furniture, table linen, china, silverware, and crystal, decorated with candles and flowers he or she takes a place at the table enjoying the visual presentation and the company of the other diners.   Wafting in from the kitchen are the aromas of the meal, causing the imagination to already begin salivation and enjoyment of the meal, even before the first course is brought in.

Then the food arrives displayed in serving bowls and on platters in an attractive way.  All that is necessary for an enjoyable and nourishing meal is available to the diner; besides the food there are various fluids that enhance the taste and ingestion of the meal.

At last, when appropriate to do so, the final sense is stroked, the sense of taste.  At the point of taking the first bite the diner has been tantalized by sight, smell, sound, and feel—now finally he receives the final grace, the taste.

And then it goes into the mouth where it is chewed, mixed with saliva, and becomes an unrecognizable mish-mash of pulp that is swallowed and staged to go into the stomach.  The allure of the senses is gone, now it’s down to the business of digesting, assimilating what is necessary, and discarding what is not.  It was all a ruse to get nutrients into the being.