Astonishment was my first love. Indeed, this is merely a claim but it may be easily substantiated, even beyond experience as a single individual. After all, is singularity even possible when a thought can not be exclusively that of a single human? A much more popular claim is that of music being the first love. In retrospect, while freely admitting that music is a grand realm towards experiencing love, and music has indeed touched me in immeasurable ways from my very “beginnings” into a musical world, I can not recall it as my introduction to love. I am recalling astonishment, first — perhaps food secondly.
This is, of course, a recollection of a long life from my current perspective. But I believe that an observation in retrospect could have more validity and credence than the very first impressions after birth, before the yearlong accumulation of experiences of states.
With this framework I wish to embark on an investigation of what this world is that I have reached, looking into the history of a number of products I have been eating, in an effort to better appreciate and understand food as nature, and as culture. Thus the “personification” approach.
One of the products I have known the longest is the avocado. As I begin this exploration project, this fruit is one of the first I will be focusing on. I hope you will accompany me in this journey, enjoying it in flavor, memories, and revelations, just as I hope to.
Sila Blume 