Call to mind a favorite memory, and chances are that it will in some way involve food. I have been making tasty memories ever since I could reach the counter. One that stands foremost in my mind is making taco salad with my mother. After browning the ground beef, she would let me add the spices, lettuce, shredded cheese, Fritos, and diced tomatoes. While the process took time, the reward of eating my favorite meal was well worth it.
Reflecting upon it now, I would say that a taco salad is actually an appropriate metaphor for life. The salad is a combination of various ingredients, just as our lives are a composite of diverse elements and experiences. The ingredients are all quite different in texture, color, and taste, yet all are essential parts of the whole. Ensuring these ingredients are in proper proportion is most crucial in order to attain the desired result. When all are combined in just the right amounts, they create something enjoyable and memorable.
The primary ingredient in taco salad is beef, which gives the meal a substantial foundation. It also provides necessary protein for the body to produce energy and remain strong. In life, the beef would represent my occupation as staff-writer for Gourmet magazine. My writing profession gives me purpose and a future, allowing me to remain positive and feel valuable in a hectic world. It affords me a way to earn a living, and the means to enjoy the other aspects of life.
Spices are what give the taco meat its zest and kick. Without seasoning, the beef would be plain and bland. A good sense of humor adds spice to life. It distracts from everyday stresses and flavors the beef (work) in a positive light. My co-workers and I rely on dry, witty humor to brighten our attitudes in the office. It also enhances the flavor of my writing when aptly applied. The old adage often proves true that laughter is the best medicine, and certainly everyone needs a good laugh now and then.
The importance of lettuce is obvious since it is the “salad” in taco salad. The green, crisp leaves rejuvenate, refresh, and restore the palate and the digestive system. You cannot simply gorge yourself on taco meat and expect to escape the detrimental effects. Lettuce corresponds to the need for healthy exercise in my life. Running, working out, and playing sports are all essential to my well-being, both physically and mentally.
The next ingredient falls on the other end of the spectrum. Cheese may be a good source of calcium, but it has a very high fat content. Knowing this fact should not deter its inclusion as an essential element of the recipe. Shredded cheese is to a taco salad as the cherry is to a hot fudge sundae. It just would not be complete without it. Cheese represents the fun in life that generates happiness and many fond memories. As an adult, I still possess the childish desire to get out and play. I have found that by establishing priorities and managing my schedule well, I can create opportunities for recreation and enjoyment. Like cheese, a reasonable amount of fun in my life makes everything taste so much better.
While most taco salad recipes call for tortilla chips, my mother favors the salty, crunch of Fritos. In addition, the thicker Scoops are preferred over the original variety. The corn chips add both flavor and texture to the salad. Fritos correlate to the tough times in my life where perseverance and determination are required to make it through. Difficulties and trials are a part of life that cannot and should not be avoided altogether. We must face our challenges, crunch through them, and learn from them. The Fritos in our lives are an essential element that serves to shape and build character.
The final ingredient in taco salad is red, diced tomatoes. Their exploding juiciness and amazing flavor take me back to summertime and remind me of lazy days, especially if they are homegrown. Tomatoes give taste buds a chance to just kick off their shoes, sit back in their reclining chairs, and say, “Ahhhh, this is the life!” The hustle and bustle of reality needs something to offset its negative attributes. Time to rest is essential in my life because it gives me a grace period, allowing my body and mind to regenerate. It takes all of the other elements of life and brings them to a stand still. The work, the stress, even the fun all stop and give me momentary peace. Everyone needs that moment where they completely relax and forget about all of the worries that have built up in the back of their mind.
Assembling taco salad with my mother is much more than just a favorite memory. Not only does it taste extremely good, but it also affords an opportunity to draw a parallel to the various aspects of my life that are most important. A simple listing of the ingredients does not suffice, though. The ability to choose proper amounts is of even greater significance. The measure per ingredient is primarily dependent upon the initial quantity of ground beef the cook uses. The appropriate balance of these ingredients is what takes a normal meal and morphs it into an extraordinary one.
So it is with life. Similar to ensuring the proper balance of ingredients in a taco salad is maintaining the proper balance of the diverse elements in our lives. We must make sure that hard work, fun, and relaxation are distributed in such a manner that nothing tips the scales too far in any one direction. We, as the cooks, exercise a significant amount of control over every aspect of the delicious meal of life.
A great (although fictional) man named Forest Gump once said, “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gunna get.” Well I say, “Life is like a taco salad – balanced, scrumptious, and full of wonderful memories!”
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