I bought three cans of black beans at the grocery store today. I'm sure that's not very interesting to you, at all. And I agree, that in and of itself, the simple act of placing three cans of black (not even seasoned) beans into my grocery cart holds nothing of interest. What I find so interesting (or not), is why I did it and what will happen because I chose to do so.
We eat beans around here several times a week. But usually, I buy dried beans, soak said legumes, and then cook them. I do this because dried beans are cheaper, I like their consistency better, and they have less sodium, something I'm aware of because of Tim's predilection toward migraines. Today, though, something was different. I decided on a whim to buy canned beans (gasp!).
And I still haven't answered why I did what I did. I bought the canned beans so that my afternoon would be easier. So that I didn't have to check on beans when I was having a few free hours to myself. (Brooke was scheduled to spend time with the kids.) And so that I didn't have to worry about whether or not the beans were cooked, considering our late afternoon will be spent at piano and singing lessons. (There's nothing worse than undercooked beans.) I simply needed to take the easy way out today, and so I did.
But that diversion down a different path makes me think of something much deeper, of course. It makes me wonder what other times in life I've decided to take the easier road and whether or not it was the right decision. Of course, I can't remember all the times I've been presented with two or more choices and I've chosen the one that makes life easier. Which also means I wouldn't be able to remember if my choice had a bearing on my future. I know the big decisions -- graduate school instead of medical school, deciding not to stay on the contraceptive pill, signing up for my first structured writing class outside of college -- those decisions have had a huge impact on my life. They've essentially placed me in the spot I am today. And, as you know, that's a spot for which I am grateful.
Yet I also have to wonder how the bean decision will impact my life, my future, if it does at all. Will something happen today, tomorrow, next week, because of my choice of canned beans over dried? Should I be worried that I might have opened up a crack in my otherwise staid life? Is choosing canned beans instead of dried akin to my own personal butterfly effect? Furthermore, does anyone else think about such things as this?
My guess is no. And I won't really be able to tell you what sort of impact the choice to have canned beans has on my life. Unless we all come down with a nasty case of botulism. Stay tuned.
We eat beans around here several times a week. But usually, I buy dried beans, soak said legumes, and then cook them. I do this because dried beans are cheaper, I like their consistency better, and they have less sodium, something I'm aware of because of Tim's predilection toward migraines. Today, though, something was different. I decided on a whim to buy canned beans (gasp!).
And I still haven't answered why I did what I did. I bought the canned beans so that my afternoon would be easier. So that I didn't have to check on beans when I was having a few free hours to myself. (Brooke was scheduled to spend time with the kids.) And so that I didn't have to worry about whether or not the beans were cooked, considering our late afternoon will be spent at piano and singing lessons. (There's nothing worse than undercooked beans.) I simply needed to take the easy way out today, and so I did.
But that diversion down a different path makes me think of something much deeper, of course. It makes me wonder what other times in life I've decided to take the easier road and whether or not it was the right decision. Of course, I can't remember all the times I've been presented with two or more choices and I've chosen the one that makes life easier. Which also means I wouldn't be able to remember if my choice had a bearing on my future. I know the big decisions -- graduate school instead of medical school, deciding not to stay on the contraceptive pill, signing up for my first structured writing class outside of college -- those decisions have had a huge impact on my life. They've essentially placed me in the spot I am today. And, as you know, that's a spot for which I am grateful.
Yet I also have to wonder how the bean decision will impact my life, my future, if it does at all. Will something happen today, tomorrow, next week, because of my choice of canned beans over dried? Should I be worried that I might have opened up a crack in my otherwise staid life? Is choosing canned beans instead of dried akin to my own personal butterfly effect? Furthermore, does anyone else think about such things as this?
My guess is no. And I won't really be able to tell you what sort of impact the choice to have canned beans has on my life. Unless we all come down with a nasty case of botulism. Stay tuned.
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