Nourishing the Floor

North Miami Beach, FL April 4, 2001 Aaron H. Schectman

THINKING ALLOWED
Essays on issues, ideas and reflections on the times. Published now and
then, Opinions pro or con are welcome.

NOURISHING THE FLOOR

We went out to eat fast food last night. The newspaper contained a coupon
promising a good deal. Actually, it wasn't quite what we hoped for and
drinks are so expensive these days that it boosted the price considerably.
But this is about "nourishing the floor".

It came about this way. Carol has often stated that I could have been a
surgeon because I have this ability to use a knife and fork to divest bones
of meat almost as thoroughly as does someone working solely with teeth. She
is uncomfortable using the plastic fork with spoon-like shape that came with
our "Traditional Recipe" chicken. So I fetched her and myself plastic
knives.

Trying to work the meat out of a chicken thigh with the spoon proved to be
a futile measure and I was soon reduced to using the other utensil. But
before I decided to change my modus operandum, I found that I had pried up a
choice morsel from under the thigh and it slipped away. Of course it fell
to the floor; hence, "nourishing the floor".

In the course of a long life I have decided to wear bow ties partly because
I have nourished many a "neck"-tie. Shirts are easier to clean than ties
and I usually miss the bow tie since it rides so high up on the neck under
my beard. I am sure you are interested in these tiny details.

I don't think any of my readers have ever reached down to the floor to pick
up that delightful morsel that you worked so hard to release from its bony
home. Most floors would preclude picking food up because of the grime and -
who knows where those shoes had been? (Carol thought I should leave this
paragraph out.)

I noticed this morning during my 10 mile ride on the bike that ducks, dogs,
cats and raccoons (I see them all on my journey) eat from the ground. That
is good and proper, but is it better to nourish the floor than to nourish
oneself? That is indeed a question.