BROWN BAG HEAVEN

I make it a hobby at times to imagine what kind of wondrous thrills for the palate a person might put in a brown paper bag for lunch. Now I know if you choose to bring your lunch that way it is saying several things.

First of all it says you can’t afford a fancy lunch box. Or maybe you don’t want to bring the one you used in grade school to work because it might embarrass you. Secondly it also says you are trying to avoid the expense of buying lunch. I’ll give you points for being frugal.

But I think what it also says is that you are a person who enjoys being in control. When you bring a brown paper bag it means you choose what you wanted for lunch and didn’t leave yourself at the mercy of some cafeteria. It means in a subtle way also that you want the freedom to have what you want to eat, when you want it.

Now to some of you I’m sure the subject of brown bag freedom and independence may not seem important or worthy of mentioning in a posting, but to someone like me it is very important. Why? Well you might ask or not ask, but I take the time to look at those little things and the subtle comments they make about a person’s values.

And as a politician those are very important to me. Because that little brown bag can be a simple statement of something the individual cherishes in life. A quiet form of rebellion against fast food tyranny or the regular restaurant monopoly on lunch times.F

Call it going over the top, but honestly this is not as extreme as you might imagine. Just stop some time and reflect on how this it truly a realm of ultimate freedom. You get to bring what you want and can keep it hidden so others don’t know if you have something really great or disgusting. That illusion is part of what makes it seem like its own version of heaven to the person like me how thrives on illusion and deception.

What really got me started on this whole subject was my secretary Edna Frump. She normally buys lunch at the cafeteria at city hall. But some times she will bring her lunch. And the one thing with her is when she does, she means business.

It doesn’t involve some puny little wrinkled brown bag. Nope with her it is a grocery store size bag. We’re talking an industrial strength, belly busting type of lunch here. Truly big meals, complete with place setting as well as condiments with silver salt and pepper shakers. With her when the mood strikes it is for complete ambience with the support of her handing brown paper bag.

In her case this comes down to a form of freedom where she is going to express herself with food. A chance to temporarily disregard her perennial diet and life! And the think is when she gives in to the urge to be free for a little while it just makes her so happy. Oh it never lasts naturally. Only a day or two, but for that precious time when she does savory the joy of that special brown paper bag freedom it is for her heaven.

And if I didn’t pay attention then I wouldn’t know the times when she is truly more susceptible to being asked to do that extra I need from my secretary at times. So you see what it pays to be observant over the little things?”