A Painful Tale . . .

In every lonely man’s life, there were points in time, that in reflection, foretold the coming tale of his solitude and isolation. These moments occurred when the man’s world was rocked so violently that it rattled his basic understanding of the universe. For some, these moments lie in the experience of war.   For others, they can be found in years of being bullied on the elementary school playground.  Even still, they can occur in simpler moments like catching your parents having sex or learning the truth about Santa Claus.

However these moments present themselves, the one guarantee is that there is no going back to life as it was before. They will cause the man to see the once perfect world as inherently flawed, dirty and without reason.

If not dealt with properly, these moments can build up and will eventually destroy one’s innocence, thereby shattering all hopes and dreams. Some say that such moments lead to mental illness while others say that they can cause a man to grow old and bitter.   When a man reaches such a crossroads, he has the option to succumb to the moment or choose to fight.  Only by fighting does that man have the chance to maintain his optimism, to see beauty in a dark and destructive world, and to maintain a sense of life and happiness. 

Great Pit of Carkoon

I nearly had one of these moments yesterday when I ate a burrito so vile that I couldn’t even finish the entire thing.  I was so shaken and bothered that I felt like the world around me was closing in or that I was being swallowed by an imaginary hole in the ground reminiscent of the Great Pit of Carkoon in Return of the Jedi.   However, I thought about my family and friends and realized that I mustn’t give into this evil, but must continue on . . . to eat another burrito on another day.

This burrito was not some cockroach infested Fear Factor-esque meal, but rather the Tofu Spicy Bean burrito from Wahoo’s.  I should’ve suspected problems when I had to pay for chips and salsa.  No self-respecting taqueria does that to its customers.  The next clue that this meal was heading straight for disaster was the fact that one-half of the length of the tortilla was cold while the other half hot.  Inside, the beans and tofu looked and tasted like vomit spewed onto a bed of shredded lettuce and wrapped inside of a tortilla.  I tried my best to eat it, but left enough on the table to feed a small family. 

Being confronted with such an atrocity made me question this entire journal.  I had thought that burritos were the perfect food and they represented all that is good in this world.  Eating this rancid concoction made me question myself for ever having held such a belief.   It made a mockery of my diet, my values, and of me.  I felt like a beaten man.

  

Just as I was about to hang my head in defeat, my brother told me about a taqueria that made burritos so special, that they put two entire taquitos inside of the tortilla.  Hearing this made me realize that I need to continue on, to fight for the cause of rice, of beans, and the burrito way of life.  I refuse to let one shitty burrito affect my outlook on the world.  I must persevere and continue on this quest because without the burrito, I am nothing.  

This Week
1/22- Homemade Breakfast Burrito, Spicky Chicken from Del Taco, 1/2 lb red from Del Taco
1/23- Pepitos, Veg-O Burrito
1/24- Wahoo's Tofu, Spicy Bean
1/26- Burrito Ranchero w/ Chicken, Las Brisas
1/28- Chicken Burrito, Tacos Jaliscos