The other night I decided to be creative. I boiled some penne pasta, cooked some shrimp, and pulled out my favorite brand of pesto. After the pasta was cooked, I drained it in the colander and returned it to the pot it was in. Then, I poured the shrimp on top of the pasta, and I topped everything with pesto. As a lover of all things spicy and cheesy, I decided that some mozzarella cheese would be the perfect addition to tie in all the flavors. I grabbed the shredded mozzarella out of the fridge, dug my hand into the bag, and began to sprinkle some cheese onto the dish that was still sitting on the stove. I quickly noticed something wasn’t right. There were tiny green pieces attached to the cheese, and this cheese was now sitting on top of my pasta, shrimp and pesto dish. I soon realized there was mold all over the cheese that I had just sprinkled all over my pasta. Since the oven was on and the pasta was still warm, the cheese was slowly starting to melt. I frantically started to grab the cheese before it melted. Luckily I got all of it before it was too late.
Although I was able to save my dish, I was slightly frustrated. This incident reminded me that I often act without fully observing my surroundings. I am always so eager to jump to the next step that I often do things I didn’t want to do. But, I remembered that I am not the only person who struggles with moving too fast.
A lot of us struggle with moving too fast. We often agree to plans before thinking if we will be able to do them. Are we even available? Do we even want to make a commitment? We’re always moving and thinking about what we’re going to do next while we are often doing something. We are so in a rush, that we forget to consult our schedules for activities. This quick thinking often results in cancelled plans, overbooked schedules, headaches, or potentially ruining your dinner with moldy cheese.
Although it is a slight stretch to compare meal preparation errors to taking the time to actually reflect on your surroundings and be in the present moment, double checking situations and taking the time to think can potentially save you a lot of dinners and headaches.