Soul Food

By Pam Hadder

There is an interesting dichotomy surrounding our consumption – not just our daily bread, but all commodities we market.  We all seek to be the first horse out of the gate, to stay ahead of the curve, to remain relevant in a fast-paced environment increasingly viewed through the Vaseline-coated lens of technology.  But are we truly moving forward or are we just spinning the same old messages and information a higher speed and volume?  Are we demonstrating meaningful results or just clogging the environment with more content; more “stuff?” To me, it is a case of soul food versus fast food.

What immediately comes to mind when you hear about soul food?   Maybe it’s remembrances of the best meal ever, comfort foods, tastes of home; or cultural and community cuisine – soul food goes beyond just filling the belly; it creates connections, inspires and delights.  Compare this to fast food – it seems dim compared to all of the rich, complex and meaning-laden images we have about soul food.  Soul food is tied to deeply personal connections that withstand the whims and whirlwinds of the moment. So, can fast food be soul food?  It might package itself as soul food, it might capture some of the flavor and physical appeal of soul food, but the critical components are conspicuously absent: time, authenticity and meaningful personal connection.  Even more than the thoughts of Grandma’s or Mom’s family recipes, soul food is about that connection – interacting with others in memorable and satisfying ways versus split second visual interaction.  One does not equal the other.

It takes planning, careful selection of ingredients, and time to elevate a consumable product, service or concept to the status of soul food – it’s pretty easy to stave off hunger with a quick fix, but the moment is here and soon forgotten.  Tech marketers have skillfully convinced many of the value of fast food approaches – the offer is all the more alluring because of ease of access and perceived low cost.  Basically the human machine is pretty forgiving and can function with almost any kind of food, but science has proven we cannot live in good emotional and physical health without interpersonal contact and support.  Like others I rely upon technology to do my work and in my personal time, but whenever I am given the opportunity, I am working to establish more in-real-time and in-person connections and moments - I prefer the natural, the simple and the authentic, and I am opting to create meaning and lasting impact, and, where possible, to feed the soul.

20 Reasons I Suck

You might as well know it - I am the original all-day sucker! Yeah, for starters, I generally wake up all bright and shiny and absolutely oblivious to the licking I am going to get each day!

Some days I just let all the drivel and drool roll down my slightly rounded shoulders - ah, the beauty of my design; form following function; blah, blah, blah.

To add to my plight, I am one of those 70s suckers with the Happy Face on it - it goes through all of the layers of my composition, so there is no escaping that daffy grin.

Today I just was ready to get in my car, drive it 'til the gas was gone and then start walking, like Forrest Gump. No beard to grow, but in time I am sure the shins would get some impressive fuzz happenin'.

I just feel like I am forever hitting the wall, missing the mark and failing at everything and with everyone I know - and then I have this stupid happy, chirpy thing going on, like a car with something shaking loose under the hood that no one can quite figure out, and even if I am dying, crying, melting, screaming, absolutely tortured half outta my mind, no one seems to notice anything but how stupid and incomplete and wrong I am. They just count on Sweet 'n Smiley to keep haulin' ass - right in the opposite direction.

So today I needed to get away and reflect on my situation. What if I just disappeared, what would happen? A few tears - dutiful ones from the adult daughters who really don't know what to make of their Momma. Real ones from my Son, who loves routine and I think really loves The Big Sucker a.k.a. His Mother. More dutiful tears from a handful of close friends - but in private they'd say, "Knew she was different..." And of course my own tears (I started early, btw... and told myself I was just practicing!) - my tears at being born such a big sucker! That would be about it and life goes on. Hardly worth my effort to disappear.

Bottom line - I am different, awkward, broken up a bit; that odd coloured sucker that someone buys because it is marked down and they are short on cash. I have never been quite the right Lolly for the job - too young, too old, too fat, too stupid, too shy, too loud, too religious, not religious enough, too geeky, too wordy, too dutiful, too ugly, too short, too tall, too many questions, too punctual, too white, too curious, too happy -- yes, way too happy and world really doesn't like happy because it creates tension; stretchy, smiley tension.

So I guess I will be sticking around, smiling (no choice, remember?). And that's at least 21 reasons - my rough count. Did I count wrong? Oh, sorry...