SometimesThe Only Thing I Can Change, Is Me

This week I watched the news every day. The lump in my throat lasted for days.

Sitting at my computer, I had every intention of sending an e-mail to someone...not sure who...maybe a congressman or a certain politician I perceive to be a problem, to tell them that it's time for things to change. This country needs to come together. Silent far too long, I was finally willing to speak up and demand that the people running, and those aspiring to run this country, clean up their acts, put personal goals of power and fame aside, and find a way to act like one solid country again. I think we used to. Didn't we?

I sat in front of my computer, with cursor blinking, blood pressure rising, ready to type. Cursor still blinking, and fingers on keys, the screen was empty. After more than a few minutes I realized I wasn't typing because the conversation in my head was stopping me.

"What can I say that will make a difference to them?"
"I don't want to be just another voice from the opposition."
"Isn't opposition part of the problem?"
"What about every voice matters and every vote counts?"
"Why aren't you typing, what happened to the little guy believing he can make a big difference?"
"Here's an idea. Change myself rather than demanding it of others"
"What am I doing to contribute to the division rather than the solution."
And last, but not least, "Is it possible for the big, pointed brick perched at the very top of a pyramid, to hear the voice of one little, slightly crumbling brick, down in the bottom row?"

Recently, I have come to realize that I spend most of my time with people who believe what I believe and who are as I am.  Certainly I have wonderful friends whose politics differ from mine, but knowing that, I avoid the subject so as not to create "itchy" conversation. That accomplishes two things. It keeps me very comfortable, unchallenged, and adds to my conviction that I'm right and they're wrong. Not discussing other ideas doesn't expand my ability to understand why they think as they do. Without at least trying to understand the experiences in their lives that formed their opinions, I am just as single-minded as those who I would like to see change.

Since this blog is about life and the food that goes with it, I'm taking my personal Eat Well Challenge to another level. My next phone call will be to invite someone to dinner who I know is politically diverse from me. I'll cook pasta, pour some wine, and do something that doesn't come easily for me on a few subjects such as politics, and that is shut up and listen. I don't think it's going to be easy. I hear things occasionally, that as my mother used to say, "just curl my hair! But I am going to do my best to listen. Not to change what either of us believes, necessarily, but to gain a better understanding. I have a feeling we want many of the same things but have different ideas on how to accomplish them.

Will dinner help us to reach a place of compromise? Can such a small effort make a difference? Will we throw dessert at one another? I don't know. But if a plate of pasta, sincere questions and honest answers have the power to bring a few together to form one voice, one that makes sense for everyone and is more clear, maybe it will be heard all the way at the top of the pyramid. And maybe they would listen.

Lightened Up Chicken Sausage and Pepper Pasta

1-lb. low-fat chicken sausage, Italian, hot or mild
1 lb. pasta, Cavatapi is shown, but any short noodle is fine.
2-1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)
4 cloves fresh garlic, or more if you like, finely chopped
1 T. olive or canola oil
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus 1/4 cup for the top (If you aren't watching calories and fat, use more cheese if you prefer.
1 T. fresh, chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
salt and pepper to taste

In large pot boil salted water and cook pasta about one minute shy of being done. Drain and set aside. This can be cooking while the sauce cooks.
In large saute pan with high sides, add oil, onion, and sausage to pan and cook over medium heat until cooked through. Add red pepper, mushrooms and garlic to pan and cook about 2 minutes more until garlic is soft. Add broth, dried herbs, crushed red pepper and simmer over medium heat long enough for the flavors to infuse the broth and the sauce to reduce slightly and thicken. This will vary depending on altitude, but it should be flavorful enough in 8-10 minutes.

Add semi-cooked pasta to sauce and heat through until pasta is tender and ready to serve. Season with salt and pepper. Remove pasta from heat and toss with cheese and herbs. Serve topped with a sprinkle of additional cheese.