[Sca-cooks] on saying "no thanks" Re: Re: P B & J

[Anne-Marie Rousseau]

hey all from Anne-Marie

I really think its a basic flaw in our culture that we're not socially allowed to say "no thanks" to food.

food offered is so wrapped up in hospitality and nurturing and social mores that to refuse it for any reason 
has to be justified or be seen as rude.

eat everything on your plate
you have to taste it or you're a food weenie loser
oh, you're not really allergic, so you dont have an excuse not to eat it
you dont like beets? well, here, you have to try MY beets!
I'll just sneak it in, no one will know

I'm as guilty as anyone, I know. but we really do need to learn to say "no thanks" and to take "no thanks" on 
face value.

the flip side of that of course is to not insist that others cater to our needs, regadless of how critical 
they are. 

--AM, who has a hard time saying "no thanks" and you can tell from her waistline (or lack thereof!) :)