11/29- Maggie Spencer-Pick- thanksgiving reflection

 During our talk in class today talking about the journey of the Israelites out of Egypt, I found it particularly impactful considering our recent conversations about food and thanksgiving this past weekend. It's very interesting that the Israelites were willing to go back to slavery for the delicious foods they could find in Egypt, and, in many ways, I feel like this sort of metaphor can be extrapolated to reflect on how we choose to eat in the modern era. We have previously spoken about how modern ecological relationships are disturbed, if not fully broken, by the lack of access that we have to our surroundings in ways that are meaningful for our sense of place. We do not garden and know the kind of soil around us, could no longer predict the timing of the first frost, and use artificial lighting to further separate ourselves from natural patterns and occurrences. Food comes from the grocery store, or if you're short on time, it can come prepared from a restaurant or fast food chain. Additionally, the burden of preparation of food is often left to one family member, more often than not the woman of the family. But for others, possibly like myself, who are bound in intense work, both through a job and through college, I often eat out because it provides easier access to nourishment. In what way is that so different from the Israelites wanting to go back to Egypt for easy access to food, even if it meant their lives were not fully under their control? What kind of liminal journey will I have as I graduate this semester and have more time available to begin to mend my own relationship with food and the world around me?