For me, fast food has always been a love/mild hate relationship. As a child, before I knew the health risks and consequences of overindulging on fast food, it was love. A bucket of chicken, a cheeseburger, a giant soda...whatever it was, the result was always a satisfyingly full stomach and happy taste buds. Of course, it wasn't an all-the-time type of thing, which made it that much more exciting when we did have it. My naive younger self always found home-cooked meals to be extraordinarily bland, not really appreciating or understanding the labor my mom would go through, having to work all day, and come straight home to slaving over a hot stove or oven while the rest of us relaxed. But typically on Friday nights, that's when the stove was off, and mom got to do her own relaxing, and everyone enjoyed themselves with a nice warm meal; and everyone got to decide what THEY wanted rather than having 'whatever was already in the oven'.
But as I grew up, I learned how wrong I was all that time. Now, I'd much rather have a wholesome, healthy home cooked meal as opposed to a fat/grease/calorie-packed one. I also grew to appreciate the fact that for 20+ years, my mom still comes home after long days of work to feed my dad, my sister and I, and even though I still don't pick what she makes, I'm more than thankful for having the food on my plate in the first place.
There's still days where different situations arise, and we have fast food. Appointments, late work shifts, and various other things can cut into the making of a meal, and fast food becomes a last resort. On a personal level, I do run into situations where fast food is the only resort, like going out with friends. There's no real plausible way to get a nice home cooked meal, when you're in another town, so fast food becomes the only realistic alternative.
This isn't to say I eschew it completely; I typically eat it in moderation. I only get small combos and smaller portions, knowing that I'll eventually regret going any bigger. I maintain a pretty active lifestyle though, which helps combat the 'side effects' of fast food., and with an endless list of family members who have contracted diabetes as an incentive, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is essential.
It's almost shameful that we as children were so attracted to fast food at a young age, and that it takes a little growing up and a little awareness to help us realize the repercussions of it, both short and long term.
At this point, nothing beats a home cooked meal, no matter how tantilizing fast food may be.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Past, future, and everything in between.
Where have I been?
Reflecting on the last (almost) 19 years, I can't truly define my past one way. As a child, I suppose I spent my time doing what everyone else my age did: hanging out with friends, getting educated, playing sports, and using a sprawling imagination to attempt to create ways to have fun and enjoy myself. I was successful at that. Anything and everything became an opportunity for friends and I to waste our youth.
Eventually, the real world became more and more apparent; friends grew apart, school became a more prevalent part of life, and the time we could waste grew smaller and smaller.
As a teenager, I began to gain an identity, and things became a little more defined. This probably occurred when I decided that the guitar hobby I had picked up at 13 years old or so could be more than a hobby. Gradually I learned more and more about myself, my ambitions, and the world around me, paving the way for who I am now and the way perceive things.
Where am I now?
At close to 19 years old, I feel as if I've done a pretty decent enough job of being a person. I'm lucky enough to have two parents that have stayed together and provided for me, and I show them the respect they deserve. Too many people that I grew up with and once considered 'friends' have somehow transformed into the exact opposite of the type of people that I want to associate myself with. I've had to sever numerous ties with these people. However, I'm probably a better person because of it.
That guitar hobby I picked up as a kid manifests itself into my daily life as more of a passion than something I do when I'm bored. The feedback I've received on my abilities at this point is ridiculously positive, so motivation isn't needed. This 'half' of my music taste is reflected in my songwriting, ranging from standard rock, to indie, to alternative, etc.
What constitutes the other half? I'm an extremely avid hip hop lover. Most people assume that one tends to only listen to 'rock', or only listen to 'rap'. You can imagine the mix of confusion and surprise that arises when people see J Dilla next to Jack Johnson, MF Doom next to Manchester Orchestra, and Talib Kweli next to Taking Back Sunday all on my iPhone. In fact, a more recent hobby-likely-to-turn-passion for me is hip hop beat making. I spend equal amounts of time doing those and writing songs on/playing guitar.
When I'm not in the studio (my bedroom), I'm a pretty avid sports fan, and a Laker fan since 2000. I make an effort to watch as much basketball (NBA, NCAA) as possible, and because I played the game in high school myself, enjoy discussing the technical aspects of it with people.
I'm also a sucker for good literature. The Great Gatsby, anything by David Foster Wallace (RIP), 1984, and House Of Leaves have all consumed me. If you're a reader, I'll like you instantly.
Aside from all of these traits, I do make a concerted effort to be a good person; I fully believe in karma and good fortune. In the same vein, I'll show respect if I get respect back. I've grown as a person from all of my past experiences, and though there's always room for improvement, I'm satisfied with who I am now.
Where am I going?
I don't have a clear cut plan as to what my future will consist of. Hopefully somewhere down the line I'm healthy, and making money doing something I care about. Ideally, I'd be working with music somehow, be it audio engineering, or production, or anything really. Whatever happens, happens, and as long as I can make a difference in the world somehow outside of my own life, it'll all be worth it.
A little taste of my work:
An instrumental piece on acoustic guitar:
http://soundcloud.com/draftdaytrade/ark-bare-version
More guitar stuff:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Draft-Day-Trade/167743773266989?v=wall
A funky little beat I threw together:
http://soundcloud.com/alexbarrera/now-did-one
Reflecting on the last (almost) 19 years, I can't truly define my past one way. As a child, I suppose I spent my time doing what everyone else my age did: hanging out with friends, getting educated, playing sports, and using a sprawling imagination to attempt to create ways to have fun and enjoy myself. I was successful at that. Anything and everything became an opportunity for friends and I to waste our youth.
Eventually, the real world became more and more apparent; friends grew apart, school became a more prevalent part of life, and the time we could waste grew smaller and smaller.
As a teenager, I began to gain an identity, and things became a little more defined. This probably occurred when I decided that the guitar hobby I had picked up at 13 years old or so could be more than a hobby. Gradually I learned more and more about myself, my ambitions, and the world around me, paving the way for who I am now and the way perceive things.
Where am I now?
At close to 19 years old, I feel as if I've done a pretty decent enough job of being a person. I'm lucky enough to have two parents that have stayed together and provided for me, and I show them the respect they deserve. Too many people that I grew up with and once considered 'friends' have somehow transformed into the exact opposite of the type of people that I want to associate myself with. I've had to sever numerous ties with these people. However, I'm probably a better person because of it.
That guitar hobby I picked up as a kid manifests itself into my daily life as more of a passion than something I do when I'm bored. The feedback I've received on my abilities at this point is ridiculously positive, so motivation isn't needed. This 'half' of my music taste is reflected in my songwriting, ranging from standard rock, to indie, to alternative, etc.
What constitutes the other half? I'm an extremely avid hip hop lover. Most people assume that one tends to only listen to 'rock', or only listen to 'rap'. You can imagine the mix of confusion and surprise that arises when people see J Dilla next to Jack Johnson, MF Doom next to Manchester Orchestra, and Talib Kweli next to Taking Back Sunday all on my iPhone. In fact, a more recent hobby-likely-to-turn-passion for me is hip hop beat making. I spend equal amounts of time doing those and writing songs on/playing guitar.
When I'm not in the studio (my bedroom), I'm a pretty avid sports fan, and a Laker fan since 2000. I make an effort to watch as much basketball (NBA, NCAA) as possible, and because I played the game in high school myself, enjoy discussing the technical aspects of it with people.
I'm also a sucker for good literature. The Great Gatsby, anything by David Foster Wallace (RIP), 1984, and House Of Leaves have all consumed me. If you're a reader, I'll like you instantly.
Aside from all of these traits, I do make a concerted effort to be a good person; I fully believe in karma and good fortune. In the same vein, I'll show respect if I get respect back. I've grown as a person from all of my past experiences, and though there's always room for improvement, I'm satisfied with who I am now.
Where am I going?
I don't have a clear cut plan as to what my future will consist of. Hopefully somewhere down the line I'm healthy, and making money doing something I care about. Ideally, I'd be working with music somehow, be it audio engineering, or production, or anything really. Whatever happens, happens, and as long as I can make a difference in the world somehow outside of my own life, it'll all be worth it.
A little taste of my work:
An instrumental piece on acoustic guitar:
http://soundcloud.com/draftdaytrade/ark-bare-version
More guitar stuff:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Draft-Day-Trade/167743773266989?v=wall
A funky little beat I threw together:
http://soundcloud.com/alexbarrera/now-did-one
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)