Sharing my food with others

I have problems sharing my food with anyone and this is something my wife often complains about. It’s quite strange how primal I get. My normally happy disposition seems to liquidate when I’m hungry. I hunch over my meal and I’ve almost growled at her when I see her maneuvering towards my plate!

I consume around 8 rotis for dinner if I can manage it, and our maid back in India used to make eight for me and 2-3 for her (at her request just to be clear :D). I jealously guard them and share only if I’ve been satiated. At first this used to upset my poor companion, but I think she’s learned to live with it. It’s not a reflection of how much I love her. It’s just that…well…I don’t know!

In restaurants, I always get pissed when others try and dig into my food. Anupa assures me that’s how it’s done. Everyone is supposed to order a dish and the food is shared by all. I never agreed with this perspective. After all, I ordered what I wanted. What right does anyone else have to eat it?! That’s why I appreciate buffets…

This behavior of mine goes back a long way. When I was college, I remember courting a particular girl. Her college’s fest was on and I’d managed to sidle her away from the crowd for a quite little tête-à-tête. Things were going well. I had a chicken frankie with me. Life was good. Then this:

Girl: I’d like something to eat
Me: Hmm. Want to go to the stall and pick up another frankie?
Girl: No it’s ok. I’ll just have some of yours
Me: …
Girl: (Leans over to take a bite)
Me: (Drawing back a little frostily) I think it’s best if you get your own Frankie!

Somehow things never worked out between us after that.

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26 thoughts on “Sharing my food with others”

  1. Bhagwad,

    While, I’ve never behaved the way you did with you lady friend, I sometimes feel a very similar emotion. It usually happens when I’d have ordered something specifically for myself, and I’d have envisaged having it all for myself. If someone then asks me in the middle of that meal, I feel very irritated. I offer to buy what they want. However, I won’t be very irritated if I’m asked for a small tasting. I can always take something from them when they order. ;)

    Of course, my irritation would depend on many factors – how much do I like what I order, how little of it is there on my plate, how much is being taken away, what (pressing or otherwise) circumstance made them ask for it, my baseline mood, etc.

    However, if I’m having proper meal, and I wouldn’t have thought much of how much of what I’ll have, I don’t mind sharing.

    So perhaps, what irritates me is the feeling of ‘planning’ being overturned, and of being ‘exploited’ (“made use of”)! ;)

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