by Sonia M.
Member since:
July 22, 2006

"And I Quote" E. B. White

January 25, 2012 08:28 PM UTC
views: 0 | 9 people recommend this | comments: 42

 

"You have to eat everything on your plate before you can watch television", mom admonished while I played with the slimy greens left on my plate.

"But moooommmm, you know I don't like spinach!" I replied.

"It is not spinach. That is a mess o'turnip greens cooked with white navy beans and a perfectly good piece of fatback", - "you have to eat every last bit of it before you can leave the table!"

"Aw, mom...can't you just give me a break? I ate the beans...I can't eat the spinach!"

"I already told you it is NOT spinach, now eat it ALL!"

 

"I say it's spinach, and I say to hell with it"  

 

"Young man! What. Did. You. Just Say?"

 

"Aw, mom...if E. B. White could say it so can I"

 

 

Wednesday 2/25 Prompt: Select a favorite quote (or quotes) to inspire you and find a creative way to include it in your post. Respond with poetry, prose, a memoir, nonfiction, or an essay.

Comments: 42

Alison H. Jan 25, 2012, 8:35pm UTC
LOL! I grew up on overcooked vegetables, too... ;-)
Alison H. Jan 25, 2012, 8:35pm UTC
I'm glad things are different now...nobody should be forced to eat anything.
Sonia M. Jan 25, 2012, 8:39pm UTC
At home the rule was you had to eat at least a small serving of everything before you got second helpings of what you did like... I followed the same rule with my kids and today they can eat anything...except for one daughter who still can't eat raw tomatoes... ;-)
Alison H. Jan 25, 2012, 8:50pm UTC
That is a good rule...just s small taste of something before rejecting it...otherwise, how would you know? One bit should serve to inform.
Sonia M. Jan 25, 2012, 8:58pm UTC
Exactly!
Alison H. Jan 25, 2012, 9:01pm UTC
I actually had that rule with my kids. Then they had a basis of knowledge. But no forcing.
Sonia M. Jan 25, 2012, 9:34pm UTC
Well....I remember well sitting in front of a dab of okra and tomatoes that could not have been more than half a tablespoonful, for TWO HOURS! until I finally ate a bite... :(
Alison H. Jan 25, 2012, 9:41pm UTC
Good for you! (being strong)
Sonia M. Jan 25, 2012, 9:42pm UTC
;-)
Darin Waugh Jan 25, 2012, 8:44pm UTC
Nice!
Sonia M. Jan 25, 2012, 8:58pm UTC
Thanks
Barbara H. Jan 25, 2012, 8:49pm UTC
Brings back memories of my own mother sliding a bowl of oatmeal in front of me and my stomach flipping at the gray glob. I'd quietly place the hot cereal spoon, by spoon, between the bottom of the bowl and its saucer. She was always having to soak my glued together dishes apart!
Today, I love oatmeal, but didn't then. Poor mom!
Sonia M. Jan 25, 2012, 9:00pm UTC
Barbara, my own Waterloo was okra in any dish that was cooked slimy....Yuk!

Today, I love okra no matter how its cooked...
elizabeth evans Jan 25, 2012, 9:09pm UTC
I'll eat about anything....always have....as long as I don't have to cook it!
Sonia M. Jan 25, 2012, 9:34pm UTC
;-) Too funny, Bob!
Sandra H. Jan 25, 2012, 9:53pm UTC
My mom had the same rule, you had to sit there until you tried it.......Good post that brings back memories!
Sonia M. Jan 25, 2012, 9:56pm UTC
Yes, the whole dialogue could have been taken from family meals when I was growing up...except there were no TVs at the time and if I had even dreamed of saying 'to hell with it' I would have been in big trouble for sure! ;-)
JOHN BECK Jan 25, 2012, 9:54pm UTC
That's a hilarious choice of E. B. White quotes!
I grew up liking spinach! But canned spinach is not really edible.
JOHN BECK Jan 25, 2012, 9:55pm UTC
We also had to "eat a little bit, so that you'll like it better next time."
Sonia M. Jan 25, 2012, 9:59pm UTC
It's right there on page 181 of my little The Quotable Feast book!
;-)

The only way to learn to eat everything is to try it at least one...
Sonia M. Jan 25, 2012, 9:59pm UTC
...one time...I meant to say!
Shannon S. Jan 25, 2012, 10:16pm UTC
Greens and spinach definitely don't taste the same! Fortunately (or not) I have learned to love a great many foods I did not like as a child.
Sonia M. Jan 25, 2012, 10:24pm UTC
Same with me, Shannon!
Diane Huizenga Jan 25, 2012, 11:07pm UTC
LOL great
Sonia M. Jan 25, 2012, 11:18pm UTC
Thanks, Diane
stephen berwaldt Jan 25, 2012, 11:09pm UTC
Very cute. I feel the same way about spinach. I know it's good for you, but I hate the way if makes my teeth feel. My mother made peanut butter pudding one night. I loved peanut butter. It was the first time ever...probably a recipe off the peanut butter jar, so I loaded up my dish and started eating. Well it got pretty heavy, pretty fast and I couldn't finish. My dad is German, and what you take you have to eat. I tried and tried to the point I was gagging. I just couldn't get it down. I remember sitting there until midnight until they sent me to bed. I have never eaten peanut butter pudding again.

Thank you submitting to the Gather’s Luminous Writers and Artists.
Sonia M. Jan 25, 2012, 11:20pm UTC
Oh, Stephen, that is so funny.

I can sort of relate... I sat just two hours in front of a spoonfull of okra and tomatoes but it was an eternity....
Kimberly Blackadar Jan 25, 2012, 11:39pm UTC
Sonia, I like how you placed the quote in the story. It added a comical effect to the story.

Being a mom of two young children, I can relate to this. My son eats everything, but my daughter has a few dislikes. She's also prone to dramatics and will go into a lengthy monologue if she finds a stray mushroom in her food.

Thanks for the link and your submission to the WWE prompt.
Sonia M. Jan 25, 2012, 11:46pm UTC
Thank you!
I believe this might be my first submission to a WWE prompt

I never had trouble with my son or one of the girls eating anything, but the oldest firl would not touch a raw tomato to save her life... I had to finally stop trying to make her eat just one bite, since she too was prone to drama and resorted to carry it to the extreme. Not funny!
Kimberly Blackadar Jan 26, 2012, 8:18am UTC
I'm glad you submitted, Sonia. I'm also pleased when I see new faces on GWE. It's a great place to get feedback on your writing. If you haven't checked out the other prompts, please do. The other contributing editors give great feedback as well.
Kimberly Blackadar Jan 26, 2012, 8:18am UTC
Okay, or at least we try to give great feedback. :)
Sonia M. Jan 26, 2012, 12:06pm UTC
;-) I have been following the prompts and submissions on GWE for a while but not as a contributor...Once in a while I contribute to Kay's & Tracy's Genre Shorties' prompts because they are always fun.

I can write about food and recipes and foodie events fairly easily but creative writing is not my forte.
Kimberly Blackadar Jan 26, 2012, 1:04pm UTC
I miss responding to the Shorties, but since I took on WWE editor, I never get time to get them done. :(

I hope you continue to respond, Sonia. I used to only write YA fiction, but some of my favorite writings on Gather pushed me outside of my comfort zone. :)
Sonia M. Jan 26, 2012, 1:08pm UTC
Thanks, Kimberly... all I can promise is that if a prompt speaks to me then I will try to come up with something... ;-)
Angela M. Jan 26, 2012, 6:16am UTC
as a kid we just ate what was served we were not made to do it though good story
Sonia M. Jan 26, 2012, 12:08pm UTC
Thanks, Angela... My parents weren't ogres but they did have a few rules... Easting at least a spoonful of whatever was on your plate was one of them
;-)
David W. Jan 26, 2012, 11:43am UTC
I loved this story. all of us have memories of the like, but you handled this as good and better than most.
Sonia M. Jan 26, 2012, 12:09pm UTC
Awww, David... wow. Thank you. Now I'm tongue tied.
Nancy S. Jan 26, 2012, 8:04pm UTC
I still have that rule with my grandkids. One small spoonfull of everything unless I know it actually makes them sick.
Sonia M. Jan 26, 2012, 10:35pm UTC
I've always felt that we all need to learn to eat some of everything. After all, we never know when we will be invited somewhere and served something we think we don't like. ;-)
Jackie Vadney Jan 27, 2012, 1:01pm UTC
Aha,ha,ha...I loved it!
Sonia M. Jan 27, 2012, 1:32pm UTC
Thank you, Jackie!

This is encouraging....;-)

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