Once, long ago, I used to be a master of having dinner with people. Not at choosing the ideal location or at making perfect dinner conversation, but in the sense that I would always finish eating at the exact same time as them – no matter the different sizes between dishes. It was always nice to perfectly coordinate my eating speed with whoever I was with. Our minds were completely in-sync.
But over time, I lost the knack. My love of food was so intense,that I could not resist devouring it immediately. No matter who I was with, I would always finish first. Being taller, I have a bigger head and therefore a bigger mouth, so it seemed quite natural that I would finish first. I was quite happy with this, because I’d rather finish first and wait for the other person to finish than take ages and leave the other person waiting.
Though in recent times my speed of eating has changed once again: nowadays, I rarely finish before the people I eat with and so, sadly, they do have to wait for me. It feels weird to now be a slow eater after having been known as an exceptionally fast one for so long. Perhaps the pendulum will soon swing in the other direction and I’ll be fast again.
Why did it change? What factors contribute to the speed at which somebody eats something? Do I just talk more while I eat now? Giving me less opportunity to take bites? Who knows? It will always be one of life’s mysteries. I’ll never truly know what causes the ebs and flows of my eating speeds.
