The idea of throw away dishes, easy cheap food, not leaving your car. Good concepts at first, but look where we have come. Good or Bad? You tell me, let's hear your opinions.
I feel bad as I am very busy today and promise to be back tomorrow with a nice normal full post. But, I had to touch base with everyone. So, discuss amongst yourselves. Food and ease, good, bad, indifferent?
Until tomorrow, then.
My opinion is bad, yes we get everything right when we want it, but we're skipping quality. I would rather wait and get something of good quality then have it thrown together.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of paper plates or rather paper anything sort of saddens me, everyone wants to go green and not cut down as many trees and have less waste and they dont understand that paper plates come from trees, and yet they want to save the rainforest...just dont buy paper plates. Plus, what's the point of glass dishes if all you use are paper products?
Its just consumerism hoarding. (spelling?)
Your blog has inspired me. I brought my Granny's table down from the attic. I have baked a cake each week for the last three weeks (My husband is thrilled to have desserts and not just dinners.) I even fix myself up a little (though not to the degree you do) before going to the grocery. I even have taken a new interest in sewing again. I've been blogging about it, and you!
ReplyDeleteInstant gratification and disposable consumerism are generally bad ideas for society in all areas. I will get to food, but if you think about how the concept changes a soceity, you understand how we are in our present state-socially, economically,and health-wise. Apart from not experiencing the hard work that goes into producing something or the earning that goes into purchasing it, if we are always giving what we want as soon as we want it, we will never learn about patience and that is where its effect is most damaging. No patience for ourselves, the children that we raise or the community in which we live cannot create a society that hopes to improve and grow nor will it allow us to remain peaceful with other countries in the world. A lack of patience can only lead to misunderstanding.
ReplyDeleteOf course instant food on disposable plates only compounds this problem with the added lack of respect for where our food comes from and effort it takes to produce it. This is even before you think of what that kind of regular diet does to the body. It could also be noted that many "overweight" people of the past were usually not overweight in the same way that they are now. In the past, most people had to do more physically on a daily basis and those that were fat usually just ate a more than they needed. There seemed to be fewer health risks related to diet and maybe more health risks that were work related. The move away from home prepared foods to convenience foods seemed to herald a societal shift.
It is interesting to wonder if the people in the fifties who were so excited about the future -the media, politicians and advertisers-would be pleased with what they started.
I agree with everything you girls have said. After all have we not become a society of want it now have to have it generation that now exsists? What happened to save up for what you want and feel that special feeling when you earned it? It translates over whether it is paper dishes or multi charge cards buying wasteful items we do not need. We have only just begun to wake up to what our future holds for our past errors. It is a shame. I am sure in the 1950's they thought they were creating a better future.
ReplyDeleteDonna, I hope you received the little surprise I emailed you! Feel free to share it in your blog.
I can see we are all in agreement. I know that they meant well, our 1950s forebears, but look how slovenly, immature, and not responsible this ease has made us! We, however, have the knowlege our forebears had PLUS the result of such actions, let us take back the past and make a new world the way I am sure the 1950's vision could have been had they a crystal ball!
ReplyDeleteForest lady- I am so happy and honored to have inspired you. I saw that table on your blog and it is so wonderful. I am a little jealous and the colors are so wonderful. And speaking of sewing someone has sent me a wonderful surprise on how to make your own dress makers dummy and I will share it with you on tomorrows blog. I cannot wait to try it and to get back to sewing this month!
It seems to me there is both good and bad that go along with such things. Before marrying, I worked 50-70 hours a week at an ad agency while taking classes full-time at night. Much as I love to cook, there usually wasn't time! It was whatever I had leftovers of from the weekend (and it's shocking how many people look down on leftovers-eating and would rather throw good food out than eat it) and that was it.
ReplyDeleteFortunately, in the Detroit area (where I lived), there are plenty of restaurants providing speedy and healthy food (Middle Eastern food, Thai food, sushi, Greek food, etc) that I could take advantage of, and usually one "meal" would feed me for two or three. What else would I have eaten? There was little to no time for cooking, much less sitting at the table and eating (I ate dinner in the car all of the time back then, in the college parking lot). Lots of eggs, lots of sandwiches, lots of hot dogs, no doubt (and that was indeed the case a lot of the time, especially when I wasn't able to throw a meal in the crock-pot at 6:30AM before leaving). Not entirely bad, but boring and probably lacking nutritionally.
That said, it is obviously problematic in that such things contribute to our throwaway society and, perhaps more the root of the problem, our tendency to be thoughtless in our consumption. It's so easy we often don't even stop to think, "I could make this for less and probably enjoy myself doing so."
Throwaway plates...I don't know. They are not my favourite, let's say that, and we never use them here. Still, if we're at a family barbeque or picnic, I don't mind seeing them. It's when they show up at Thanksgiving or Christmas that...It seems odd.
I guess I can see both sides thanks to my experiences. It's not the best, certainly, but it is, yes, convenient at times! That said, I think that such things should really be reserved for times when we really do need something fast, cheap, and without the need for cleanup (those days do happen, unpopular as it is to say). It seems to me that the difference is this: Back then, such things were a treat. Nowadays, it's mundane and normal to eat "convenience" foods and home cooking is considered some sort of spectacular delight.
All a matter of perspective, I guess. I know most of you will vehemently disagree with me, but that's the way I see it!
I guess in this, as really with anything, moderation is the key. Not many things in and of themseleves are 'bad' and really just need moderation. too much of anything seems to be too much, except maybe love.
ReplyDelete