Clean Slate
Monday, September 20
the insufferable question
delayed July post:
During my mom's high school reunion in Iloilo, the food and drinks were overflowing. As the party was winding down, the host told the guests to feel free to take some food home. The women swarmed over the buffet table, taking everything: wraps of ibos (suman in Tagalog), lechon, soup, chicken, sauce, gravy---everything. Even the disposable utensils and balloons weren't spared. In the end, there was just the centerpiece left.
These women didn't witness the war years nor did they go through the Depression. But they were raiding the buffet table like they weren't fed properly for years. What kind of childhood instilled this kind of mentality in these women? And more importantly, am I bound to become like them past a certain age?
My grandmothers were spendthrifts as well, shameless when it comes to getting a discount or freebie. My mother is a milder version, but I guess this may manifest more when she reaches my grandmother's age. There are more important things in life to think about that how to get around the system and save a centavo or two. And although there's nothing wrong with being penny-wise, I still dread the day when I start arguing with the grocery store manager about a price cut for a dented can of sardines or when I insist on packing adobo and rice for a plane ride, just in case I get hungry.
During my mom's high school reunion in Iloilo, the food and drinks were overflowing. As the party was winding down, the host told the guests to feel free to take some food home. The women swarmed over the buffet table, taking everything: wraps of ibos (suman in Tagalog), lechon, soup, chicken, sauce, gravy---everything. Even the disposable utensils and balloons weren't spared. In the end, there was just the centerpiece left.
These women didn't witness the war years nor did they go through the Depression. But they were raiding the buffet table like they weren't fed properly for years. What kind of childhood instilled this kind of mentality in these women? And more importantly, am I bound to become like them past a certain age?
My grandmothers were spendthrifts as well, shameless when it comes to getting a discount or freebie. My mother is a milder version, but I guess this may manifest more when she reaches my grandmother's age. There are more important things in life to think about that how to get around the system and save a centavo or two. And although there's nothing wrong with being penny-wise, I still dread the day when I start arguing with the grocery store manager about a price cut for a dented can of sardines or when I insist on packing adobo and rice for a plane ride, just in case I get hungry.
posted by neva, 3:20 PM
