2 Short Stories: Signs to D.C. & Hot Chapatis

For this month’s Personal Story Challenge, I share two short tales on the lighter side of life.

Back in 1997, when I moved back east, I drove my ’78 Toyota pick-up across the country with a friend. I had been living up and down the west coast for several years (Northern California, Oregon, Washington, & Alaska). Most recently I had been in Eugene, OR and before that in the hills and mountains of Washington state.

Now the plan was to move to Washington DC.

Late in the afternoon after several days of driving that ‘ol truck that could hardly reach 59mph, we saw a great, big, green highway sign for “Washington.”

My friend said, “Hey, go that way, it says Washington.”

I gave a quick glance, mentally brushed the comment aside, and replied, “That is a different Washington, we are looking for Washington D.C.” I was keen to emphasize the initials “D.C.”

My confident answer seemed to satisfy both of us and we continued “in route.”

Needless to say, we arrived at our destination MUCH later than anticipated. I must have taken the most circuitous route ever into the District.

Moral: Never act knowledgeable in an arena you know nothing about.  Do not place so much importance on a couple of initials.

Here is the next story…

I was sitting with my Acaryaji in our mud hut, makeshift kitchen. We were eating and talking. The conversation was going back and forth while we cooked and ate our fresh, hot chapatis (flat breads). Then at some point I noticed that he had stopped contributing to the conversation, and he was just looking at me as I ate and talked. Then the conversation died down entirely. There was silence.

Then he looked at me and said, “I was amazed by how you were eating your food – taking huge bites and not chewing before swallowing.”

He added, “At some point I was sure I would see the whole chapatis create a huge discus-sized bulge in your neck as you swallowed.” And he made a motion with his hands to display what he was talking about.

Immediately visions of childhood cartoons flashed in my mind as that is exactly how they would portray certain characters as they ate.

Those times of simple living were long, challenging days and I was definitely overzealous in my chapati eating.

Moral: Take smaller bites, put down the fork or spoon, chew food until it is liquidy in the mouth, then swallow. Breathe for a bit, look around, then pick up the utensil and start over. I always have to remind myself that proper digestion starts in the mouth as the digestive enzymes in the saliva must mix with the food. That is why in ayurveda they say, “Drink your food and chew your drink.” The sense is to chew food so thoroughly that it becomes liquidy and can be swallowed like a drink; and with your drink be sure to chew it as if it were food so it stays in the mouth a little while before being swallowed. In both instances it gives opportunity for the saliva to mix with that food or drink. 

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