Since the beginning of this semester, constantly discussing food in my learning community classes, I have been made aware of the huge affect food has on one’s life. No matter where you turn, you are reminded of food either through advertisements and signs, seeing someone eating food, or simply being hungry and thinking about eating. I’ve realized in particular that my everyday life basically revolves around food. Being on such a busy schedule, I always have to plan out time to squeeze in when I am going to eat. Furthermore, as a waitress, I am literally surrounded by food every where I turn when I am at work.

I am a waitress at a panini and espresso bar by my house in Dyker Heights, called Panino Rustico. So about four days a week, I spend hours serving food to hungry customers. I have realized that much of what we have been talking about in class, relates to my everyday life at work. For one, I always automatically feel hungry when I get to work just by seeing all the delicious food I serve and I crave it. I know that at work, whenever it isn’t busy I am allowed to order food and eat while there isn’t much to do. So whenever there is no customers, it is like a cue, how we discussed in class, I am automatically hungry. In the same way, whenever the bell rings from the kitchen, that is my cue to go get food that is ready. This is like we spoke about in class known as the Pavlovian association, that whenever an animal is fed after hearing the bell it will automatically respond when the bell rings.

I also became aware at how fortunate I am to be living and working in an area that has an abundance of food available that provides nutrition, specifically fruits and veggies. After watching, “A Place at the Table”, I realized other peoples struggles living in a food desert and how much people around me in my neighborhood, including myself take for granted all the healthy choices we have to choose from. Our class discussions have really impacted the way I view aspects of food in my everyday life.