Grocery Store

    Earlier this week I wrote about the pleasures of the winter farmer's market. There are also pleasures in the natural foods co-operative. Some of these, such as organic arborio rice and locally-baked organic bread, help round out our winter meals.

And others, such as these Kettle chips, round us out in different ways.

The chip section of the store gets my mind racing. Salt. Fat. Potatoes. Salt. Fat.

I feel the craving as a physical sensation that activates muscles and bones, the entire nervous system atwitter. My hand seems independent as it reaches toward one of the colorful bags. Saliva floods my mouth.

Then I push the empty cart down the aisle to the bread section. How 'bout some tasty multi-grain loaf?

It's useful to observe myself at the grocery store. In formal practice, my mind and body can seem quite separate. But at the grocery store, mind and body merge into a single entity, tethered by desire. In that moment, awareness becomes a matter of life and death. I ain't kidding!

Comments

[bob]

I go for the sea salt and black pepper

[Suzanne]

I find a trip to the grocery store quite overwhelming.

[Genju]

When I had to get braces, I opted for the kind that are removable thinking that would interfere less with my "grazing" habit. Turns out it keeps me from "grazing" which uncovered how mindless the supposed "healthy" grazing was.... Grocery shopping tonight will be very interesting!

[Uku]

Great post, Barry! I agree, desire can truly lead us in grocery store. But sometimes it's good to eat some crappy food, I think. I'm gonna eat some potato chips tonight and watch a movie.

Take care, my friend in Dharma!

Bows,
U

[John Small]

Those Spicy Thai ones...
Salt, fat, spicy, sweet, fat, salt, crunchy, sweet, spicy.

Market research has put bazillions into finding out what colors are the most effective. That orange bag, sitting here at home, pre-breakfast, has chased my usual breakfast right out of my head.

And excellent photo, by the way.

[Joseph]

Potato chips are my biggest addiction! I'm usually giving in to the craving more often than not... Korea hasn't master potato chips, which is a good thing, I suppose. I'm still drooling from your post!

[Barry Briggs]

Thanks, everyone, for your comments. I'm very glad to know that I'm not alone in this . . . addiction.