The interesting story with the tv which is quite famous in JJ's family is that my in laws were having a "discussion" and my mother in law was tired of said discussion so she went to watch some tv. Well my father in law didn't appreciate that and continued the discussion and my MIL decided to turn the volume up on the tv. If you knew my FIL you would know that he can react hastily at times so he decided to take the tv and throw it out the back door! It is so funny hearing JJ and my SIL recount the story of how it played in slow motion and the tv rolled all the way across the back yard and busted along the way. From then on my FIL didn't allow a tv in the house, we actually gave them our old tv a few years ago so they can watch movies though.
I don't know if we are even against having a microwave for health reasons which is what it seemed at first or if we are just trying to go against the grain. The more I think about it though, I think we like not having a quick fix to prepare our food. I think not having a microwave is just another way we like to live out a slower paced life. Think about it y'all! What does a microwave represent? Convenience, easy, fast paced, instant gratification, I need this food item cooked pronto, etc. Now I am not saying that we all need to toss our microwaves, dishwashers and coffee makers in the trash; interestingly enough we don't have any of these items. What I am saying is that we should all be trying to find ways to slow our lives down. Running from here and there and throwing food in the microwave then scarfing it down not really tasting what you are eating is not something that should be done on a regular basis. I understand that there are some days that will be like this but this should be the exception not the rule.
Not having a microwave forces us to slow down, we reheat our leftovers on the stove top and we make our popcorn in a pan with some oil. It may sound old fashioned but it suits the kind of lifestyle we wish to have. We want a slower paced lifestyle where meals are actually worked for and are enjoyable together. There are somedays that I wish we had a microwave but those days remind me to ask myself if I am taking on too much. If I don't even have time to prepare and eat my food that is my clue that I need to slow it down. I love food and preparing it too, I understand not everybody loves to prepare food but I think we can all agree that we like eating it and food from the microwave is never as tasty as stovetop food.
But Kat I like my fast paced life, why should I slow it down? Well I think that we have more time for silence and listening to the promptings of God when we take the time to do everyday things. We have time to pray through preparing a meal and offer up our frustrations about our busy lives. We can take the time to pray for those we are preparing the meal for, praying for our farmers who work hard and pray that the food be nourishing to our bodies. Also, you eat a lot healthier when you aren't just microwaving frozen foods. Now I understand that this is not always easy to do especially for those who have children because sometimes you are just thankful to get lunch on the table without a big hassle because your kid(s) are hungry ASAP and sometimes on CD1 I feel so sick that I throw chicken nuggets in the oven and I am thankful I am at least eating something.
Having a slower paced life and not having some modern conveniences really helps me to reflect and truly be present to the ones that are around me and closest to me. I give myself an hour for lunch in between follow ups with clients so that I make sure I have time to prepare/eat my food. Sometimes I eat pretty quickly or my food doesn't have much prep. work so I take the rest of that time to check in w/ JJ or prepare for my next appointment. I also try not to schedule appts. during my usual meal times so that my body isn't thrown off too much, having hypoglycemia really helps me to make this a priority. I think being able to take our time and reflect more in our every day lives allows us to be more thoughtful, kind and loving human beings. What are some ways that you like to slow down your lives from time to time?
*This post was not meant to make anyone feel bad about their eating choices or to persuade anyone to get rid of their microwave. It is meant to challenge us to slow things down from time to time and actually enjoy the little everyday things like preparing food and eating.
Thank you for this reflection. I always wish I had more time to cook and this has helped me see to make it a priority sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't been able to totally rid our house of the microwave, we did do the next best thing. We moved it to the basement. We made it super inconvenient to use. So basically it is there, for when we have guests over who bring that 'convenience' dish to heat up. When our microwave croaks, it's not being replaced. Some people wonder how we live without one, cuz they don't see one in our kitchen. We tell them it forces us to make/cook "real" food.
ReplyDeleteI am using my microwave less and less. Both because I like the way that it makes me slow down and cook food and because food cooked without it tastes to much better. But then I also start to question the health part of it, too. If microwaved food tastes that much worse, what it is doing to the nutrients as well? But I still have frozen meals in my freezer, and I do still use it sometimes.
ReplyDeleteIt has been much, much more annoying for us (particularly mike) to live without a dishwasher than a microwave! I will say that I know your lifestyle and you two have always seemed to have ample time on your hands...although I believe your point is that you have planned it that way! When Mike and I were working full time or when both of us pretty much (or literally) lived in lab because we were running experiments or finishing a paper, I could have kissed the microwave that brought me hot cooked food quickly!
ReplyDeleteGirl, I did the no microwave and no dishwasher thing for a year. I didn't miss the microwave too much, but the dishwasher I missed! Anyway, I'm back to my old dishwasher and microwave using ways, though we don't use the microwave all too often. Great advice for trying to slooowww down this fast-paced age we live in. It's true: we all want everything immediately. Like today, when I had to wait in line forevverrrrr at Walmart and then again at Kroger. But it helps to practice patience every chance you get. And a lack of microwave would do that. Someone also once recommended eating/chewing mindfully. So while you eat your meal, chew slowly, chew each bite many times, and really take in the flavor of the food. It helps you to slow down, stop before you're really too full, and allows you to focus on the joy of eating, rather than distracting yourself with your phone or your computer or a book. Now, I must say, I'm pretty horrible at this, but it's good advice anyway. :)
ReplyDeleteI am also a slow eater too! Like everyone is always done before me, unless I am famished then I eat fast. When we have dinner with my inlaws they are all practically done while I am still on my salad.
DeleteYou're right about slowing down the pace of life, that is a good thing to do and we all need it sometimes. I don't have a dishwasher or a clothes dryer and this gives me a chance, like you said, to have some silence. I must confess I don't always use the time when I'm hanging the clothes or doing the dishes the old fashioned way, to pray or listen to God, but sometimes I like to think of all the things that I have that I should be thankful for, I also like to think of things I'd like to do in the future, like projects I have in my mind or trips I'd like to take (a little daydreaming, I guess) even if they never happen :)
ReplyDeleteThis is my first time commenting and I think maybe even popping over here, I'm not positive. We have a microwave and I don't plan on giving it up but this post has made me really think about what we use it for and to make good choices with how time is spent. I think we rarely use it for cooking but almost exclusively for defrosting and melting butter. It's almost sad when I think about it because 9 times out of 10 that's what we're doing in the microwave. I think the only "cooking" is making a cheese quesadilla. But now I am going to really focus on what we put in our microwave and slow down life a bit. Thanks for the deep thought!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for stopping by! Yeah I think most people I know who do have a microwave don't use it all the time, just for melting stuff and re-warming hot drinks and things. I guess I was thinking about how I grew up so rushed and we used a microwave everyday. Although I did tell my husband that I wish we had a microwave so I can re-warm my hot drinks during the winter because I drink them slowly :)
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