What's on Your Plate?

Last night in a phone conversation with my mother, I caught myself using cliches like "biting off more than I can chew" and having "a lot on my plate." Later, I wondered what it is about the activities of our lives that make them so relative to food. What might my life look like right now if my list of things were literally food on my plate? Hmmm...

• Well, first, there's my job at City Hall. That would be the mashed potatoes. It takes up the most space, is tasty and easy to swallow. It provides nutrition, but I'm sure glad it's not the only thing on the plate.
• Then there are the two university courses I'm taking for work. The first, Municipal Law, is a serving of peas and there is only one pea left - the final exam. It's a pretty big pea, but it will go down fairly easily when the time comes. It just needs to roll around on my plate awhile yet. The other course, Public Administration Professionalism, is a much larger serving of Brussels sprouts than I would ever want to eat. It tastes nasty and requires a lot of chewing and focus to swallow. But there's something in there that's good for me and will no doubt develop some muscle somewhere. The best thing about these vegetables is -- I didn't have to pay for them.
• The writing course I'm taking is a delightful, light salad - delicious, enjoyable, and good for me.
• My "Out of My Mind" column is the roast beef. My favorite thing on the plate, and definitely the one I'd take a second helping of. I can't, of course, speak for my readers.
• Then there are the interviews I've been doing with Municipal Councillors for the Herald Leader. This is a side serving of horse radish which I'm glad I tried, but do not necessarily plan to take again.
• My blog is something brand new, like a tasty bit of exotic cheese which I'm just nibbling on until I get the hang of it.
• My clogging class and yoga routine are a nice glass of cranberry juice with my meal. It satisfies a thirst and makes the whole meal digest more easily.
• For dessert, I'm preparing to attend the "Writing for the Soul" conference in Denver February 10-13. Preparations include tweaking my novel, finishing the proposal for my novel, making more business cards, and other activities I enjoy.
• There are, of course, other things scattered around on my plate like salt and pepper: housework and laundry, cooking, shopping, sleeping, showering and reading. I don't include relationships on my plate, because each person has their own plate and the common denominator is the table.
• Oh, and the plate itself? Prayer, of course. It's the only thing holding it all together!

Is your plate full, too?