Reasons and excuses

In this post, I’d like to reveal some of my vices. I’d like to explain and justify these weaknesses in the hope of being forgiven or understood by all those who don’t share the same imperfections. Here they are, in a completely random order:

1) Like every modern housewife, I have a mixer. I know I could easily do without this commonplace kitchen utensil because, as my grandma would argue, I might well do the stirring, whisking, beating and kneading manually using a fork, a beater, or a wooden spoon. However, there’s no need to make the process of preparation unnecessarily arduous, right? Most consumers of my dishes are interested in the outcome anyway – the yummy soup or the delicious sauce I prepare – and they don’t really care how I actually achieved the result. So, the mixer just makes my life easier and it saves a lot of my energy and time while I strive for excellence and perfection.

2) I also have a car. I confess I use it every day to get to work, even though my workplace is within a walking distance from my house. I feel it’s not quite right because it actually turns me into a lazy person, plus it’s not exactly environment-friendly. Also, I would probably be much fitter if I walked or cycled, but where on earth would I put all the heavy shopping bags? It’s simply comfortable and practical for me to drive, especially because I have a big family to look after.

3) I plead guilty to using a GPS when driving. I know that driving unplugged, i.e. reading a classic map and then watching the road signs and landmarks, would be more interesting and beneficial for the development of everybody’s navigation skills, but having an additional aid as a backup helps me feel safe on the road.

4) To my shame I admit that I sometimes visit a fast food restaurant and shamelessly enjoy all the unhealthy food and drinks they offer there. I’m well aware of the fact that consuming too many burgers, chips, and McNuggets can make people fat and malnourished because the quality and the nutritional value of these products are not exactly high, but I simply can’t resist. Sometimes I’m even forced to eat there (my sons are to blame cause they’re loving it). The thing is that the food is prepared and served quickly – by a standardized method – it includes tons of addictive content, and all the packaging’s so colorful and bright. 

5) I feel a little ashamed that unlike many of my friends, I rarely make birthday cakes for my children. Instead, I have them made by someone who is more experienced in making them. I know it would be nice and more personal to make one myself, regardless of the seemingly imperfect outcome and lots of mess in the kitchen. I also know that when making my own cake I could choose all the ingredients and content according to the birthday people’s needs and wishes, but maybe I’m not confident in making cakes yet, and I just want to shift some of the responsibility in order to make everyone happy. 

6) Oh, and I use coursebooks – for all the reasons and despite all the flaws highlighted above.