By Dr. Jacquelyn Simmons
During my early childhood days and later, our mother sometimes served eggs, pork chops, milk, biscuits, jelly/syrup, for our breakfast. I, being older than my sister is and more aggressive, thought I deserved to eat the largest pork chop, in fact. the largest everything. After scouting by nostrils and eyes that was the menu for that particular morning’s breakfast, I had already “eyed” the pork chip I planned to swiftly slide onto my plate, as usual. After reciting our required memory verses, and said “Amen”, I Quickly slid the pork chop I had already mentally placed my name onto my plate before sitting down. As usual, no one commented one way or another except me silently proud what I had conquered with my cleverness.
My friends, however, when I took a huge bite from my largest coveted prize pork chop, it tasted as if I were eating some type of bitter hated medicine. I was too embarrassed to say anything concerning its strange bitter taste because my mother was eating hers from a napkin. It was custom that she always placed her foods on napkins. We later decided that she was trying to monitor her weight by not eating a large amount of food. We never questioned her about it, just smiled with her and continued eating her well-prepared food placed on our regular food ware.
I sat there struggling to eat each very bitter bite of the pork chop, not daring to admit how miserable I was at my victor’s choice being a grand defeat of purpose. “Daddy” had left early for work. I do not know whether he ate before his departure, but we had witnessed our mother frying the pork chop and preparing our food.
My friends, I was sooooo miserable, especially since my sister was quietly, (she was always quiet and still is) eating her breakfast and my mother…
I finally conquered the very bitter pork chop, and hurriedly rushed from the table in order to try and hide my misery from my mother and sister.
Many years later, I “fessed up” to my mother that entire painful episode and she said she had never, never, never “doctored” food, drinks or anything else as a lesson to me or anyone else. Who else do you feel could, would, do that to teach me that important lesson? My sister, “Dena”, was too young to note anything being different at the breakfast table besides her pork chop tasted normal to her and everyone else even after “daddy move to Denver and our mom served the same menu.
I cannot help but wonder did any of the pro-capitol “grabbers” feel satisfied with their failed attempt to do so while their main organizers and leaders so-far, are suffering no penalties? In fact, they were videoed watching their failed “fracas” from behind heated, warm, bulletproof walled, windows, and curtains in safety while they and others…
Their “grabbed” bitter pork chop of success may not taste any better than mine! It’s food for thought, isn’t it?????
