As a little girl, I didn’t think much about how I ate. That is, until Papaw Janeway had supper with us one day.
Papaw Janeway was Mamaw Jo’s father. So, when he came over, she and Mamaw Girdle/Myrtle cooked their usual southern feast: pinto beans, fried okra, rolls, creamed corn, mashed potatoes, peas, rolls, cornbread, and, of course, fried chicken. Oh, and let’s not forget Mamaw Girdle/Myrtle’s strawberry cobbler made from scratch.
YUM!
As soon as we said grace, I proceeded to do as I usually did around my family. I took a spoonful of mashed potatoes and dobbed it onto the side of my roll. Then I took a big bite of both. Well, let’s just say Papaw Janeway didn’t appreciate me doing that. Mamaw Jo squinted at me, so I knew not to do that again while he was there.
But I was to get fussed at yet again. I took a large helping of pinto beans and politely poured them over my mashed potatoes. I loved how the two flavors blended together.
That upset Papaw Janeway more than my potatoes being on my roll. Let's just say he had small conniption fit. Obviously, I found out the hard way that he not only didn’t want his food to touch on his plate, but he didn’t want them to mix in his mouth either. If they did touch on his plate, then he said the food wasn’t fit for a pig to eat. And that went for other people's plates as well.
That totally blew my little mind. I loved how the different flavors of food blended together. How they complemented each other. Besides, where was the fun and excitement of eating one food at a time. Each new food combination was a new adventure.
Over the years, I have learned that many people don’t appreciate my quirky eating habit of combining different foods together on my plate. While they don’t eat one food at a time as Papaw Janeway did, they don’t find the mess on my plate to be very appetizing. So, I now mix my food on my fork instead of my plate. But when we are at home, my husband Tim will often hand me a bowl instead of a plate. Bless his heart.
“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” Matthew 5:6 (KJV)
Whether you are a neat eater or messy one, food will only keep our stomachs filled for a short time. But only God’s righteousness can fill and satisfy our souls like nothing else can.
You know, I think Papaw Janeway may have been on to something with his eating habit. He passed away five months shy of his 102nd birthday. The picture with this article is one I took of him when he was in his early 90s and living off of Thomas Hallow Road. It came in second place in the Photo contest: portrait division at the TVA & I fair in 1988.
Brooke Cox is an author, speaker, and storyteller. She was a 2016 Selah Awards Finalist for Debut Novel. Her children’s book: “Dinosaur Eggs,” is now available. It is based on Ephesians 6: The Armor of God. Her novel “Until the Moon Rises: A Conniving Cousin Mystery” is also available. Also, she has two books out in her storytelling series: “Saucy Southern Stories.” The Amazon links for her books may be found on her website: brookecoxstories.com. Please feel free to contact her. She would love to hear from you.