Breaking Bread

There is something profound about the act of breaking bread with people. Laying on the grass outside the residence I could feel joy pumping through my veins. As the food lays upon the ground I watch as Daniel tears off a piece of bread and places a slice of cheese, Emmental I believe, upon the torn piece of bread. As he lays it within his mouth his face changes into a relaxed tone. He silently smiles to himself as he slowly chews on the flavour inducing meal before him. Although the contorts of his facial features have been comedically exaggerated for social purposes the joy he is taking in his meal is undeniably unrepentant.

I myself take the time to break apart a piece of bread using my small knife to add a little coherence to the act. I choose to partake in pate, hot peppers, and a little Brie. Much like Daniel I take the enjoyment of my food to its logical comedic potential externally but internally I can't help but feel unabashedly lucky to be able to enjoy such a simple yet delicious meal. All around me I am surrounded by wonderful people all taking enjoyment in the act of the meal. Its sustaining actuality holds a mystic quality; despite it being a human construct it maintains its beauty. 

I have shared many a meals with a many of individuals. I am profoundly lucky to say that. The group of people I am thinking of, Daniel, Emily, Els, Danielle, Maria, Cory, and a few others is no exception. I would have the pleasure of dining with them on many other occasions, some meals being less and more extravagant than the one I am relaying to you, yet those other meals failed to remain within my memory as boldly. My palate still aches for the taste of ART:brgr, while my wallet begs for the wonders of two dollar falafel, yet they did not cohere socially as the above meal had. 

The meal was simple. It was created through basic ingredients and a little creativity and was grounded in bread. I find that intriguing. Bread, or at the least the cultivation of grains, is believed to be the catalyst for civilization as we see it today. Centres such as Montreal would never have exist without the power of an agricultural society. As such the group of us breaking bread was a continuation of civilization. As the world changes and as society changes we experience our roots when we break bread with others. 

So I remembered this meal. I remembered its refinement and its lack of civility. We tore and ate at our meal with no semblance of formality almost reverting to an animalistic mode of eating, I enjoyed it. There is no pomposity be found among us. Although we are all educated individuals we are also aware of our ignorance and of our ultimate finality, we took the time to enjoy the time with each other. Despite our outward incivility we partook in the civility of each others company. The meal was purely a social experience, an echo of infinite meals before and after us. 

The setting and context of the meal was enchanting. I was in a foreign city with basically foreign people. The city had me in a spell. My eyes where wide and I was open to new experiences. As such I feel that the meal I ate, the company I enjoy, and the world I existed in appeared lovelier and more grandiose. Not because it was but because I allowed it to be so. That is the wonders of new experiences, we are given an old formula of existence and unleash a new lease upon it. Nothing has changed but our very own subjective interpretation. That reveals infinite ways to experience a moment. How will you see your next moment?