Hospitality

There are some rules that we never ironed out before we started our 100-mile diet. One of them is how do we deal with hospitality. Our pride wants us to make it three-hundred and sixty five days without once cracking for a dark chocolate or a Dr. Pepper. The reality is that we will be guests at other people's tables. At some point we were going to be faced with the decision to turn down dinner invitations and become hermits or make some concessions when hospitality is involved.

It did not take long for an opportunity like this to come up. Kristin was away to New Jersey to visit for her Goddaughter's birthday. My meals were reduced to pieces of cheese and eggs in her absence but I stuck to our commitment diligently. Sunday came and my brother called me to see if I could help him tear down a tree in our grandfather's backyard. It was a big tree and I was hungry in the end. My grandfather wanted to order pizza to repay us for the mess we had created in his backyard. I did not know what to do. I did not want to throw it all away on Papa John's. My dignity was on the line. I did not mind going hungry a little longer, waiting to eat at home. What had me stuck was that I did not want to turn down my grandfather's hospitality. So I obliged. I ate Papa John's pizza.

This created an interesting conversation between Kristin and I. We want to follow through with our commitment so that we can show other people that is possible. However, if we hold our nose up at the food that people us offer we will just upset every one. Every week we try and make it to dinner on Tuesdays with my brother and his wife's family. Strange I know, but they're great people and we all like each other. Our parents live a couple states away. This weekly tradition was the centerpiece of our consideration Sunday night when Kristin got home. We tussled with all of the options. First, we stop going on Tuesdays. Second, we bring our own food and eat it while everyone else stares at us with funny faces. Finally, we still go but offer to cook at our house on occasion and bring side dishes made with local ingredients.

In the end we decided it was much more important to maintain our friendships than be snooty about where the food came from. We set some guidelines for these situations that will keep us in line with the main goal of our new way of eating. Like we drink water instead of juice or soda. We can offer to bring sides with local ingredients. We want our friends to see how flavorful and practical local food is. To accomplish that we need friends. When local food goes head to head with the rules of hospitality, hospitality wins.