Extra Big-Ass Fries
The United States is a duality when it comes to size. We like it big sometimes, and other times, we like it small. In the movie Idiocracy, the concept of big goes so far as to advertise french fries in a size that is “Extra Big-Ass Fries.” On the other side of the size scale, technology continues to get smaller. And smarter.
Big does not mean stupid, small does not mean smart. Think of what actions we are taking and its impact on water, climate change, and how much we consume. Take a look at the chart below.
Now, this chart is by no means perfect, or correct. It is merely a tool that you can use to plot your decisions when it comes to buying something you need versus buying something you want. There a lot of omissions in this chart. Poverty, race, socioeconomic class, education, and more, all affect the availability of options and choices that a person can make when consuming, buying, or using something.
“All the good intentions in the world cannot save it if you do not have enough.”
Say that I only have three dollars. An Extra Big-Ass Fries costs 3 bucks. It is cheap enough and it will fill me up! Why not?
Perfect, now I have to go get those fries. Should I take my car? Do I have enough gas? Should I walk? If I had five dollars, I could get fries across the street, but they are expensive, and covered in cheese and chili.
Below is a very limited decision tree for a capitalist society. I have two options to get some french fries. Take a look at it in this cool stick-looking-graphic-that-took-too-long-to-make below!
OK, so I want french fries. I do not have $5.00 to pay for the fancy ones across the street. But I can head over to the other place to get the Extra Big-Ass Fries, or there is the question-mark option? What is that question-mark option? Is it a third place to buy fries? Is it a decision that does not bother with the buying of french fries?
It is making the food. It is learning or practicing a skill.
See, this is where information and access to it is important. Society now has the capability to store information, access it, and use it for an advantage. In the case of making food, I can now access a recipe for french fries, see if I have the ingredients, and even access information on how to substitute the ingredients with other things! My decision tree has expanded. Maybe I can use the $3.00 to get some fresh potatoes, instead!
Whoa, whoa, whoa. That means that the food I am eating is homemade, probably healthier compared to the fast food stuff and the fancy restaurant, and I get to reinforce the idea that I made it myself and learned that I am capable in doing it!
“All the good intentions in the world won’t save it if you do not have enough.”
Making the food takes a lot of time. Do I have the ingredients? I have to cut the potatoes, fry them, salt them. Those Extra Big-Ass Fries are just a short drive away…
Time is another factor in the decisions we make. We leverage our time now against our time later. And these consumption decisions affect what happens to us later. Those Extra Big-Ass Fries are going to be less nutritional, meaning my body will be hungry earlier, and they are going to give me gas, meaning people will probably not want to be around me. Not only is it worse than making homemade fries, but I will feel more lonely because of all the extra flatulence.
Loneliness affects mental health and resiliency. Now I get into a vicious cycle of eating because I am sad, and getting sad because I eat.
So our decisions affect, and impact, a lot of what we do on a day to-day basis. In this article, I have made a decision to ramble on about eating french fries. This has affected how far you have read the article. Hopefully, it has made an impact on your perspective for a brief moment.
I could still ramble on about this stuff. But lets head on to a quick case study and then a conclusion. We will learn about James:
The media is a fickle beast, and that fickle beast followed the story of one James Robertson in Detroit in February. James was a hard working man who was working class, also. He walked 21 miles each day to and from work, just to break even. He lived in a neighborhood where people struggled just to get by.
Well, because people saw James’ story, they gave him a lot of money to help him out. While the charity was a good decision to help out a man, did it affect an entire community? Let’s ask some questions and do some thinking about the community.
- Did James’ old community get an empowering message about why people raised money for him?
- Did James’ old community receive the opportunity that James got?
- What does James’ old community look like after James’ moved? Do you remember that it has people who are short on time, low on funds, and struggling to just feel good? Does it seem more like a bunch of (fill-in-the-blank)?
These are difficult questions. And it is tough to make decisions that leave people behind. The money James received only impacted one person in that community in a positive fashion. A high quality decision has outcomes that are difficult to predict.
The same kind of decision can be made when trying to eat. A high quality decision might be the one that spends money on freshly grown products, put together on the spot, and placed at a dinner table for many. A high quality decision might be the quick bite to eat on the road. Decisions can be tough. But when I can make a decision that will move people forward, then I know I have done my best.
Maybe that is it. Maybe it is my decision to do my best.
Good luck to y’all.
What kind of decisions do you make that have a great impact, but a small footprint?
Please feel free to respond, or critique my article. I appreciate your taking the time and attention to read this. I hope you enjoyed it! — Tim.
