2 weeks Ago
Lately I have had a big imaginary cartoon question mark over my head. I just don’t know what to think about my current situation. James Morabito fits his eating habits to his lifestyle.
A buddy of mine, in his 60s, who lives down South, has parents up here who decided to move into an assisted living facility. The “kid” came up recently to help his mom and dad make the move. I am known in my social set as someone who walks every day for exercise, for about an hour.
I eat everything in sight, but I am pretty skinny. So, when my pal was helping his parents move, he called me, saying that he wanted to give me their groceries. He said he was on his way to my house with everything.
He said the assisted living unit didn’t have a stove, just a microwave and a little refrigerator. With all meals provided for them, his parents wouldn’t need their regular food, he thought. My reaction was, “That’s wonderful.
I’d love to have everything. That is so nice.” Well, he loaded me up, and I have been eating like a king.
Their food choices are more expensive and robust than my usual health-conscious diet. There are lots of meats, vegetable medleys, and very nice premium pasta noodles and sauces of various types. I am at an age where it almost seems like my lifestyle could be described as “all medicine, all the time.
” One of the medical topics that I have reluctantly backed into, the last year or so, is the vexatious and unpleasant area of prostate health, which affects men as they get older. For prostate reasons, I am unable to eat lots of watery or water-soaked foods for supper. Things like spaghetti or other pasta, rice and some vegetables are not on my supper menu.
So, with my friend’s parents’ groceries in the mix, I have been eating pasta for breakfast. Why not? It is food, after all. I have oatmeal, then another cereal, and then maybe some nice macaroni with spaghetti sauce on it.
It has been great. Maybe weird eating, like macaroni for breakfast, runs in the family. Years ago, my non-Italian Scottish-Irish-English-German mother went to the doctor.
Right off the bat, he hit her with a couple of food-related questions. “What did you have for breakfast today?” “Pizza,” was her answer. “What did you have for lunch?” “Pizza,” was her answer.
So, it has all felt natural to me. However, the unexpected has happened. My friend’s parents, after just a few days in assisted living, decided that they hated it.
They are going to move back into their condo. What do I do about their food, some of which I have cooked and frozen for easy microwaving later? What is the proper etiquette or protocol here? I need to contact the ghost of Emily Post in order to figure out what to do. Would they really want their freezer zip bag of Italian bread back? How about frozen deli sausages and meatballs? Packages of instant pudding mix? I’m sure my friend will say something like, “Forget about it.
Keep the stuff. Enjoy it.” When I visit them, as I often do, I will certainly feel an obligation to bring a pie, or a pizza, or some doughnuts, or some other sort of treat.
Going out really isn’t feasible for them. What I appreciate about all of this is the friendship and humor of it all. Macaroni for breakfast! Catch the latest in Opinion Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly!.
