I'm Tofu, and So Are You

I wouldn't exactly say I'm a fan of Tofu. In fact, the idea of tofu being healthy in some Asian cuisine is taken to the extreme in the US when we decide that since Tofu can be good, we eat slabs of it daily ... moderation is lost on our society (and often myself) all too often.

But I digress ...

What's fascinating about tofu is that it takes on the flavors around it. It's hard to say you don't like the taste of tofu; texture perhaps. I say that because I've had some fascinating things made from tofu! Indian curry, stir fry's, and even an absolutely delicious chocolate mousse! The tofu in the blender took on the texture of a mousse and the melted dark chocolate turned this tasteless puree of nothingness into a protein packed chocolate treat.

Tofu tastes like ... well ... whatever it's cooked, soaked, and seasoned with.

I'm not digressing this time, that's my actual [attempted] point!

What are you soaking in?
     What are you seasoning yourself with?
          What are you being combined with in a fire that binds things together?

Maybe you're not tofu, maybe I'm the only one. I just know that what I watch and listen to has a way of changing me. I just know that too much time in the wrong environment begins to create a new normal for me. I just know that a long time in the wrong fire etches and burns things into me that are hard (if not impossible) to remove.

          I can't unhear things.
     I can't unsee things.
I can't undo things.

A few bitter ingredients doesn't ruin the dish, and in fact, a good dish can transform those bitter ingredients into something delicious. However, too much of them, and a dish becomes tainted.

"Too much salt, an insult. Not enough salt, an assault!" - A chef from the book: The Green Ember

While there are certainly things that never belong in our our life, to block any negative influence from the outside is not only impossible, it's also wrong. It is hard to put salt into the world if you lock yourself in your castle and never come out.

However, let us make sure that we soak in what we want others to taste.

His,
~Matthew