Aimlessness

I originally started this blog with the idea that I would post about food and issues surrounding it. I'm not sure that's going to work for me so I'm opening it up. From now on the title "Real Sustenance" will be interpreted even more loosely as I explore different issues that strike my fancy. This is partially because, as I have mentioned before, I am quite unsure of the career path I would like to pursue. I want to find out what my interests truly are and to do that I want to explore them all.

I hope you all enjoy the exploration with me.

The entertainment factor

I've never wanted to be a salesman. I don't really have the patience or the motivation to try and convince people that they need something or that they want to do something. I prefer to adopt a general, "Do what you want..." type of attitude. I was, however, very interested in education. I love reading, writing, thinking, and discussing; sharing that with others seemed like a great idea. I didn't realize how much of a salesman I would have to be in order to be a good teacher. In order to "be a good teacher" and reach the majority of my students, I must continually convince them that they want to do this. I must "sell" education to them. I hate this.

While writing my senior thesis on the economics of education from contending perspectives, I got into a lot of educational philosophy (I love how close economics and philosophy can get at times!). One very influential book that my adviser pointed me toward was Why Read by Mark Edmundson. In this book Edmundson talks about his experiences as a college professor. Specifically, he discusses the way students evaluate classes. Many students today expect education to be engaging and entertaining... and they expect teachers or professors to orchestrate the course in a way that accomplishes this. I run into it in my classroom everyday and I certainly remember those expectations in college as well. Teachers and professors are supposed to make education entertaining... because, seriously, what's the point if it's not enjoyable? (Sarcasm... hope you can pick up on it!) The New York Times has an article today that brushes on a lot of these same thoughts. The Professor as Open Book .

One of my favorite quotes comes from John Dewey (I know... not original at all for an educator to be quoting Dewey... give me a break), "Education has no end beyond itself; it is its own end." I truly believe that true education is engaging, inspiring, and it's hard work that offers an intrinsic reward. It's not entertaining and enjoyable because the professor is funny or the teacher brings in manipulatives every day... it's amazing because it changes the person that you are and that's fulfilling. Here's the issue though...Why can some people feel it and others need engaging instructors to sell it to them? And... if I hate the entertainment factor while teaching on the high school level... will I hate it while working on the college level? Finally, is this a result of our culture... entertainment all the time... or is it just a natural division within the population, some people are nerds and others aren't?

To me writing, reading, thinking, and discussing are REAL SUSTENANCE. Now I need to figure out what to do with that.

Utility

As I may have mentioned in a previous post, one of the possibilities I'm considering is pursuing higher education in the field of Economics. It was my major in undergrad and I absolutely loved it. I have become obsessed with food and nutrition since then so I am also considering pursuing that, but I realized recently that I can combine those two interests. I could study food marketing and production in an applied or agricultural economics program. It could work out very well... only I know next to nothing about the field.

Anyway... the point of this entry. Economics is a very curious social science that does its best to quantify choices... which can be very difficult to quantify. One of the tools economists use is this very general term known as utility... or the pleasure and individual takes from certain consumption decisions. It seems as though this might be a great way to account for preferences and everything else, but the problem is, who really knows why they enjoy all of the things they do? I've been applying this idea a lot and trying to figure out why I do the things that I do (in regards to food that is) and what motivates me to make healthy decisions while many other people make very different decisions.

Example: Tonight I had an eggplant "curry-like" dish with tofu for dinner. (Contains the following - eggplant, onion, cauliflower, lentils, tomatoes, garlic, and indian spices). To be honest, it was kind of tasteless... definitely not bad but definitely not spectacular. Regardless of the finished product, I was so excited to have made it. I told all of my coworkers that I made eggplant curry and I looked forward to reheating the leftovers and tasting the mediocre meal again today. Despite the taste, I took great pleasure from that curry which means that my utility from eating is not derived purely from taste.

Now, this is going to be far from a definitive list, but here's where I think my food utility comes from:

Nutrition - There were lots of different veggies in my curry... meaning I ate a more varied diet this week than I would have without that dish. Plus, there wasn't anything "bad for me" in my curry. That made me feel like I was doing something great.

Exploration and culinary growth - I learned a new way to cook eggplant (roast it in the oven for a while and then scoop the insides into a dish of your choosing)... this makes me feel as though I'm actually becoming a better cook.

Productivity - If I've had a tough day at school, nothing will improve my mood more than making something with my hands. I like being productive; I feel good about myself when I can do that. Cooking is a great outlet for that type of stuff.

Taste - of course I want something that tastes great in addition to all of the above.

I suppose that this is something I need to do some more research on, but the economic concept of utility very complex. The pleasure I take from food is very complex... I can't imagine trying to analyze the pleasure everyone else takes from food. Are there any patterns? Are these innate preferences of have I been shaped by my surroundings? Basically, why do I eat the way I do and why do others eat the way they do?

Research suggestions appreciated.

Blogging... Eeek!

This week I stumbled into the world of internet blogging. I mean... I've written on blogs before and I'm familiar with the concept, but I had no idea how huge the community of bloggers actually was! First, I found one of two blogs that were very interesting, then I followed links from their "blogroll" then all of a sudden I was falling down the rabbit hole. There were food blogs by diabetics, cancer survivors, dieters, amazing chefs, working moms, and anything else one could dream up. I'm sure that some of these blogs are uber popular and some are just "wanna-be's" in the blogworld. They all referenced each other and all of them had tons of comments on each post. This was a community with personal interactions and a lot of dialog going on. First, I realized that there are a lot of intelligent, great writers out there who are passionate about the same things I am. Second, I got very intimidated... what am I doing?

I couldn't help but question myself. Why am I spending time writing in a blog? Why do I think this is a worthwhile project when it is clearly not a unique one. What am I going to contribute that all of these other people aren't already saying? Just like the rest of my life... I guess I really have no clue. I'm wandering right now because, hey, these are my odyssey years. Despite ultimately not knowing what I hope to get out of this blog, I do believe that it is a productive step. I have a lot of thoughts and ideas. I like thinking, reading, and making connections. Since graduating from college, I don't have many places where I've been asked to do those things in a structured manner. I hope this blog can be an outlet for that type of structured reflection on ideas that catch my interest.

Ideally, I will write in this blog a few times a week, maybe even have some people read it and comment on it once in a while (the spot of first comment is still up for grabs! you better act quickly if you want to be a part of this history!) . After a few months of this (maybe longer... who knows), I would read back on my entries and be able to see patterns... something would become clear and point me towards my next step. Maybe I'll stumble across a research possibility or dissertation topic in a blog entry. I guess that is a huge expectation to have for a blog, but I don't think it's totally unrealistic. Writing and reflecting is very valuable; therefore, I envision this as being a way in which I might figure out what I'm doing with myself. It could happen.

This is how I think of this blog. I haven't sent the address to my family members and aside from the passing reference to my dietary patterns, contented singleness, or love of running on the mesas, I have no intentions of dwelling on my personal life. This is a place for me to explore ideas about food, economics, sociology, philosophy, and any other passing thoughts that might come my way. I think becoming part of the blogging community would be fun, but it's not my main goal. (Comments are still welcome, though!)

The Trenches vs. The Ivory Tower

There is clearly an obesity problem in the United States. As a country, we are poisoning ourselves on a daily basis. We have no idea of how to feed ourselves in a way that optimizes our physical potential. Advertising and corporations make seemingly simple food choices unbelievably complicated when examined closely. I believe that this situation needs to be addressed.

While I am still in the early stages of this romantic relationship, I love food. I take great pleasure in preparing meals both for myself and for others. I feel as though I enter some sort of time warp in super markets because hours pass quickly before I tire from reading labels, health claims, and examining unfamiliar products. I read about food, nutrition, and health constantly. This just may be my passion and this just may be the way in which I can contribute to this world. Unfortunately... at the age of 23, passion just leads one to even more questions.

What is the best way to address the eating disorder that America is suffering from? What is the best way for me to share my love and passion of food with others who could benefit from my perspective? Option A: Find a job with WIC or some similar organization that offers advice and counsels the populations who are most in need. Work in the trenches and know that I will influence lives on a daily basis. Option B: Pursue higher education by becoming a Nutritionist or getting a PhD in Applied Economics or something very similar. Talk, think, teach and write about these issues for the rest of my life and hope that my words don't fall on deaf ears.

Both options have benefits, both have drawbacks. What do you think, the trenches of the ivory tower?