Where It All Began

After working on a project for many hours in the shop this week, my DTC team finally finished creating our prototype. By the time we were done putting stuff away, it was about 10:30 PM, well past the time the dining halls close. All of the dining halls except late night Plex, that is. Seizing the opportunity, one of my teammates and I decided to get mealy. I got myself a plate and asked the man working the grill for a double cheeseburger. He said "okay." As he put the patties on the grill, I went to the opposite side of the room to get two slices of pepper jack cheese. A few minutes later, the man took my slices and turned the double cheeseburger into a reality. Not wasting any time, I proceeded to decorate my double cheeseburger with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and bacon. The double cheeseburger with all of the add-ons was literally as tall as me, except for the fact that it wasn't that tall. I sat down at a table with my teammate. Both of us looked at our personalized double cheeseburgers, ready to eat the double cheeseburgers of victory. I lifted my double cheeseburger with both of my hands and took the first bite. The mixture of flavors and textures was exhilirating. Some may say that the essence of a double cheeseburger is greater than the sum of its individual bites, but I have to admit that the first bite was quite possibly the most triumphant bite of my life. There is much satisfaction to be found in taking a bite out of a double cheeseburger, even as life takes bites out of you. In the same way, do not feel discouraged if life is taking bites out of you, because you are greater than the sum of your individual bites. Sometimes, you just need to take a bite by yourself before you take a bite of yourself. I can now truly say that I understand the satisfaction my father experienced when he ate a hamburger the night I was born.