Tag Archives: Entertainment

You will be eating again soon

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The finishing moment of many pleasant restaurant meals is having a fortune cookie. Dropped off with the cheque, fortune cookies are a final treat, and usually a source of optimistic wisdom. So it surprised me when I opened my fortune cookie to find this message: “You may be hungry soon: order a takeout now.”

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At first I thought that the cookie writer was expanding upon an old joke about Chinese food burning off quickly, but then I read it again.

Yes, I would be hungry soon — not “may be hungry soon”. I would want something to eat, and I would get something to eat. It might not be takeout food from this restaurant that I would eat, but I would definitely be eating again, and soon.

The marketing machine of North America knows full well [even though they are always hungry] that eating is a major source of profit in the world.

With the triple power-house of sugar, fat and salt, the food industries tempt our tongues with textures and our eyes with scenes of happy, shared moments — much to the detriment of our stomachs and our health. In an entertainment-focused society it is not surprising that the marketing machine would be churning out food as a source of pleasure and spending.

Most people can’t even say they actually experience hunger, because hunger has an element of duration. We are never hungry for long here in the land of enormous meals and endless snack food.

Like most people, I love eating, and I love sharing meals with family and friends. But what I don’t like is the continuous eating pressure beamed at us via TV, radio, print ads and now fortune cookies.

We all know that food is essential for our health, and good food in good quantities can help us be healthy.

I think the writer of this fortune cookie inadvertently crossed a line and opened a Pandora’s box of awareness for me. He helped me see just how relentless and widespread eating pressure is in our society.

It has made me aware, and I will be watching food ads now with more care and attention.

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Becoming Batman

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Our continued interest in comic book heroes reflects our admiration for those who help others despite the challenges.

When I was a boy I got my comic book fix in 12 cent monthly increments They were delivered via the local variety store called [in all its early innocence and lung-stomping dastardliness] the Smoke Shop. There, amidst my options of Donald Duck, Richie Rich and Archie comic books I would seek out the stories of how a rich guy, helped by the small but vital team of his butler and young protege, would use his wealth and techno-talents for good.

Helping others is a great passtime

Unlike talking ducks, gold-plated helicopter owners and red-haired perennial teenagers, Batman was focused on righting wrongs, and so was his audience. He was fully energized, serving where needed, and plenty able to get [the right] things done. The crooks and causes were pivotal but secondary, troublesome but not undefeatable. We knew good would triumph, even if it did get tied up from time to time, because Batman kept on trying.

There was a fellow comic-loving lad named Larry in my home town. The first time he and I got together at his place we each read a comic book. I was ready to read another but Larry said: “Let’s play together instead, and when you head home you can borrow some of these…” and he opened a cupboard door, to reveal hundreds of comic books, including dozens of Batman issues I had never seen. I felt like I had discovered the Lost City of Gold, but Larry already knew something I didn’t: that life isn’t about being entertained but doing things together.

In addition to whatever value those many Batman original pressings would have right now [somewhere between 12 cents and priceless], I wish our society would realize that we have almost everything Batman had back then. We have cool technology, greedy bad guys galore, and a lot of people shining bat-signals into the sky, asking for help. What we need to do now is not don a costume or slip into another bad guy-focused media event, but to start doing what Batman did best: serving where needed.

help-others

Research shows that helping others relieves stress and depression, and actually brings us joy.

It’s time to stop feeling that the bad guys are getting too tough, and get energized. It’s time to get off the couch and start getting off on helping others.

Start small, but get involved. What’s going on in your community that could use some help? You can see Bat-signals. Go help someone!

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