What's going in?

I read a news story on people in Haiti who, because of their poverty, are forced to eat these 'dirt' cookies. They're made with sugar, shortening and this powdery dirt that they actually purchase!

When my sister and I were about 7 and 8 years old, we used to 'bake' mud cookies on this concrete slab at the farm we grew up on. It was a lot of hard work, mixing that 'dough' and then laying out the cookies on the slab. I specifically remember one day we went nuts...and made like, 4000 cookies. We told each other that we were baking for the army. And I'll be vulnerable and say that yes...there may have been some taste-testing going on...

It was creative, recreational fun for us. It saddens me that this is a culinary reality for others.

When I first read the story, I felt helpless. When I re-read the story, I saw something else...

This dirt is cheap. So they eat it because they can't afford anything more. It's not good for them...according to medical professionals. But they don't seem to have a choice...so they do it.

How much are you putting in that's 'not good for you'? And I'm not necessarily talking about junk food (although I'm sure that could apply!). Think about that question for a moment while I share another memory with you...

In high school, my senior year...I took a computer class. Computers, ahem...were relatively new to schools then...and this was a programming class. I sat next to this guy who thought he knew more about the computers than everyone else. Okay, admittedly, he probably did know more. I'd make a mistake in my programming and couldn't get the system to run properly and he'd smile at me and say, "Garbage in...garbage out."

Argh.

You can hear him sneering, right? Can you see me rolling my eyes and grinding my teeth?

Okay, so maybe he wasn't sneering...but I think he really wanted to!!! (and yeah...I WAS grinding my teeth...)

Anyway...now, when I make mistakes, sometimes I'll hear his voice in my head..."garbage in...garbage out." It's a good reminder to me to watch what is going in. Is it bad for me? Is it good for me? Sometimes, like the Haitians, I tell myself I don't have a choice...but is that the truth?

I may not be able to do much to help those poor folks in Haiti with their food intake. But I can control what goes in to me. I encourage you to put something good inside today. You are valuable and special and wonderful. Remember that. And remember to try to stay away from the mud. Trust me, I know from experience...those mud cookies don't have much flavor...!