Every time I go to a restaurant, choosing a meal becomes quite a predicament. If I had to create a list of all foods I enjoy eating, it would consist of about 5 different meals. This is no exaggeration. It didn't take my friends long to notice that all I have eaten for lunch this first week of school is pizza, chicken, peanut butter with bread, cereal and rigatoni. One of the first days of summer session at Penn State, my friend made the remark, "You're a fussy eater, aren't you?" And to this I replied that I am not a "fussy" eater, but perhaps a "picky" eater. Over the years my least favorite phrase heard at the dinner table is, "Just try it. You'll like it!" It's not that I don't wish to like the taste of these foods being offered to me (believe me, I do), it's that I simply hate the taste of the food being offered.
It was the first week of kindergarten at Pleasant Elementary School. This particular day turned out to be everything but pleasant for me. Right as I entered the lunch cafeteria with my "packed" lunch full of all foods I would consider edible (which consist of the very same ones of today), the fire alarm erupted through the school. Even at the age of five I was smart enough to figure it was just another drill. However, after standing around for fifteen minutes, we were told there actually was an unusual smoke coming from the cafeteria kitchen. This was the very same cafeteria containing my precious lunchbox, which I left on one of the tables. The students were allowed to play kickball for a good period of time while the building was being inspected. A few hours later, after the smoke had cleared and it was safe to enter, my first thought was to get my lunch back into my own hands. To my disappointment, no one was permitted to eat the lunches, which sat inside the cafeteria during the evacuation. The students proceeded into the cafeteria and were asked to order a lunch off the menu. School lunches, my greatest fear. If I remember correctly, we were given three options to choose from. Standing in line for my lunch felt so unusual. The cafeteria had seemed to grow twice its usual size. I wished to be at the safety of my usual lunch table with my usual friends. Instead I was in line and was up to order next. Although I had forgot the three options I had to choose from, I spotted a classmate with a tray of chicken nuggets. What a relief! The sudden turn of events led to me feeling optimistic about this school lunch experience. Chowing down on my first chicken nugget quickly replaced my optimism. These chicken nuggets being served were nowhere near as satisfying as a picky eater such as myself would have hoped. Needless to say I went home hungry on that particular day, and for the remainder of my K-12 education I never consumed another school lunch.
My junior year I revisited that elementary school, which was shut down shortly after I moved onto middle school. At the age of 17 the lunchroom seemed so incredibly small. How I felt intimidated when I was younger was beyond my understanding. Today, I am grateful for the cafeteria at Penn State, which features a pasta bar and a jar of peanut butter every day. Someday I hope I will conquer my taste buds and grow to enjoy dreaded cafeteria food.
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