Savour Part 1: It’s Corn
I like to putter and saunter my way around the Gravenhurst farmer's market. As such, it has become a solo ritual, my family unable to find enough patience to match the crawling pace of my curiosity. Attending the market has become an annual summer pilgrimage for me. Over the years I have honed the experience to a perfect art.
Lap 1: get a lay of the land and vendors, absorb the sights, sounds, and smells. Lap 2: approach the vendors that caught my attention and inquire about their products. "How did crafting birdhouses become your artform of choice?" or "what is the difference between the Portuguese and Spanish chorizo?" or "are your bowties for dogs machine washable?" Lap 3: make purchases.
This year I was tempted by all the usual suspects: the windchime lady, the cutting board couple, the elderly gentlemen who crafts leather belts guaranteed to last 30-40 years. They almost get me every time, but this year a new vendor really caught my attention. His creation? Survival wristbands. I was spellbound watching him demonstrate its miraculous powers. Not only did it contain a thermometer and compass, but the wristband had flint and fire-making capabilities. As if that wasn't enough, a hidden pocket on the wristband contained a fishing line and lure. I toiled over whether to make the purchase. Granted, the odds of me ever being in a dire enough situation that required fire or fishing seemed remote. But darn it all, wouldn't I look the fool if it did happen, and I had passed on an opportunity for a survival bracelet!
Eventually, I extradited myself from the vendor's stall and headed home with a selection of cured meats, a dog bowtie, fudge, and a summer delicacy: corn on the cob.
If you have been following along with the Nexus summer themes, you will know that, thus far, we have explored finding refreshment and connection. This week, however, we are invited to savour. An odd theme for reflection, no? Savouring is, in fact, a culinary term, the ability to "taste (good food or drink) and enjoy it completely." The idea this week is to expand our notion of savouring beyond the realm of food and into the rest of life. Even still, food isn't a bad place to start. Consider the farmer market summer delicacy: corn on the cob. Many folks enjoy corn on the cob, but what would it mean to savour it and enjoy it completely?
I am currently in a phase of life where my kids frequently steal my phone to find songs and music to their liking. This is vexing on several levels. Not only does this mess up whatever algorithm Apple Music has going for me (it seems to think I am a big fan of Korean pop music), but my phone now also has three separate songs on it entitled "Fart." Needless to say, I am not overly impressed with my offspring's taste in music.
And yet, they did discover and introduce me to a song that, embarrassed as I am by it, I absolutely adore. It happens to be about corn on the cob. Take a listen below . . .
It’s CORN!
A big lump with knobs
It has the juice (It has the juice)
I can’t imagine a more beautiful thing
It’s corn . . .
I can tell you all about it
I mean look at this thing
When I tried it with butter
everything changed…
I don’t care who you are, that song is a gift and that chorus is catchy! It is hard to see corn the same way after hearing this song. It captures the wonder of childlike amazement. Corn on the cob, what a gift, this big lump with knobs of juice! This song, for me, captures the difference between mere enjoyment and savouring. You can enjoy something, like corn, but still fail to really see it as a gift. To savour is to have eyes to see (goats on cows) and appreciate, at the moment, the gift of what we are experiencing. Corn on the cob, food in general, is a great place to start. But savouring can extend beyond the kitchen. To dive into that, perhaps another song might help.