Life is Like a Burrito

I know what you are probably thinking. This blog post is just an excuse to put up a picture and talk about Chipotle. That is not (totally) correct.

Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE Chipotle. I eat there at least once a week, and it is pretty much my favorite restaurant in Stillwater. I went there on Friday actually, and had a chicken burrito. I asked for extra rice and beans and the guy said something to the effect of, "Let's make it a challenge." Now I thought at first he was talking about challenging my ability to down a Chipotle burrito. How foolish. But no, after heaping on two huge scoops of rice and two huge scoops of black beans, he proceeded to add extra chicken as well. My eyes became wide in anticipation. He then passed the burrito-in-waiting to the girl next to him and said, "Good luck!" with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. Then I knew. He was challenging her burrito-wrapping abilities. Would she be up to the task? She added hot salsa, cheese, and lettuce per my request and then began the gargantuan task of wrapping it all together. Amazing she actually was able to get it started without much trouble. But as she began to seal the ends the tortilla's structural integrity failed and a gaping hole was opened. Undeterred she completed the wrap and asked if I wanted it rewrapped completely, double wrapped in a second tortilla, or left that way. Appreciative (and in awe) of her burrito-wrapping skills I decided to leave it alone and not make her redo anything. Instead she wrapped the ginormous burrito in foil (it took two sheets of foil by the way) and I had her draw an arrow so I would know which side was up so to speak. The burrito must have weighed 2 or 3 pounds, and it was amazing. And yes, I did eat the whole thing in one sitting, did you even have to think about asking that?

But I digress.

It is simple really, because life is like a burrito. Consider that you hold a burrito in your hands, just as you hold your life in your hands. Burritos often come wrapped and protected by a foil covering, much the same as our lives can be sheltered by the foil of our own insecurities and defense mechanisms. The tortilla of a burrito is akin to our capacity to live; the larger the tortilla the more food can fit inside, and the larger our capacity to live the more things we can accomplish. In a burrito we can add any number of ingredients to suit our tastes, just as in life we can have as many (or as few) things going on, depending on our interests. Burritos are different for each person just as our lives are different depending on what we choose to include. Some may enjoy larger proportions of rice in their burrito in the same way that some may enjoy larger proportions of work in their lives. And some people eschew rice (and work) altogether. The possibilities are endless! For me, my life (burrito) is filled up with my job, my class, my family, my creative component, my job search, my personal life, sleep, running, my fraternity, my internships, and many other things I am not even considering at the moment. At any given time when you bite into a burrito you may taste a variety of ingredients, just as in life at any given moment you may have a variety of things going on. It fluctuates because in burritos and in life, no two bites are ever the same. Sometimes when I eat a burrito I feel that every bite is all rice and beans. Where is the salsa, the cheese? Sometimes my life feels like all I am doing is working and going to meetings. Where is the personal life? You see, burritos are (to me) a true metaphor for life. Especially when you consider that all the while you are eating a burrito you are trying to keep it all together so that no food falls out. How many times in life does it feel like we are trying to keep it all together so nothing is dropped?

So next time you eat a burrito (preferably Chipotle) reflect. Reflect upon your life and all that goes into it. Enjoy the taste and savor your life. Life is like a burrito and I'm eating it!

PS: After eating a large burrito, dancing is a great way to burn of some calories, especially if you dance like this kid (which I do...when I'm drunk)