Phone Eats First

 

I know I am in the minority here and that most of you imaginary readers will hate this opinion. Anyway, here goes...

Food is sustenance. We need it to live. It's okay to dine on food that is cold, stale, or tasteless. Eating an unsatisfying meal won't kill you. In fact, it will keep you alive. Literally.

When eating out, there is really no need to consider and rank order every single item on the menu before ordering; you may rank them if you wish, but it is not required. Every now and then, perhaps you could just read down until you see one you like and get on with it. 

And no, unless we are married to one another, you may not sample my dish to see if you prefer it.

Also, this is important: you can eat food even if you don't take its picture first. I read that 1.3 billion photos of food are posted on Instagram every single day. I might have guessed higher. 

Look... I am happy that you enjoy a fine culinary experience. I also like a tasty meal. But I think requiring a transcendent experience three times a day is a burden that many people impose upon themselves unnecessarily. Set yourself free... it's okay to simply order the first thing on the menu, eat it, and go home. 

There... I said it; let the hate mail flow...

Arresting Art

 

It's the intent of the artist to stir the viewer's emotions. Of course, not all viewers are created equal and some of us are harder to stir than others. I have visited a great many museums around the world, and I find art interesting but I usually do not connect to it on any deep or emotional level. In fact, some of the world’s most famous art, pieces that are renowned for their ability to evoke a reaction and inspire awe, were only moderately engaging to me when I viewed them. 

 

The Mona Lisa? Very small and kind of dark, not sure if I really care if that is a smile or a sneer on her lips. The Last Supper, the Sistine Chapel…? Both nice I guess, but all of the religious symbolism is lost on me. The David, the Thinker...? Each impressive in detail and form, but neither emotionally captivating. 

 

Anyway, I was recently hurrying to a meeting in Los Angeles and I took a shortcut behind the Laker’s arena when…BLAM! I was literally and figuratively stopped in my tracks by the most captivating piece of art I have ever viewed. It was/is an eerily powerful piece. 

 

It is a bronze sculpture honoring Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, who perished together in a helicopter crash along with several others. The two are depicted in street clothes, sitting on folding chairs (presumably court side at a basketball game), wrapped in angel wings. They are leaning into each other with the casual and loving embrace that any father and daughter would recognize. She is relaxed and secure, laughing with her head on his shoulder. He is quietly alive, embracing his role as protector and provider as he kisses her head.   

 

The sculpture is tucked in a quiet spot in the shadow of the arena, surrounded by a bed of flowers. Its poignancy cannot be ignored.  I walked past it four times last week and, based on my observations, it is a source of riveting interest for every person who encounters it.