Tom Turkey: In Memorium 2013-W47

After a spell of whattopaintitis, I recovered sufficiently to settle on a portrait of a noble bird that might well have been one of our national symbols instead of the eagle.  Tough break.  Instead of soaring majestically in election year commercials and appearing on things like money and our national seal, the turkey occupies a low-level ubiquity most of the year, only to be elevated to center stage on Thanksgiving Day.

Two observations and a story to follow:  let's start with one observation.  Turkey is terrible.  Not much flavor to speak of, and a disagreeable texture.  In my opinion, but an opinion which is shared by many.  Also, how does that bird stay so dry even when it is served in a liquid like chili?

A dozen years ago, I consulted over several months with a company that housed much of its workforce in a large office complex north of Hartford, on the Connecticut-Massachusetts border.  The place was a solid 20 minutes away from everything.  Management therefore had wisely endowed the complex with a lot of conveniences in a bid to keep people on the premises over their lunch hour.  Convenience store, health club, dry cleaner drop off, even a shoe repair service!  And an excellent cafeteria...  restaurant quality food if you asked me.  Early during my tenure, I was walking across the complex around 11am when I observed at least three dozen people queued for the cafeteria opening.  Turned out it wasn't a one-time phenomenon.

Every Wednesday by 11, people would be lined up early for Turkey.  And all the trimmings.  To me, it was shocking that people would line up for first crack at a meal that I was happy to eat once a year.  A meal that they could —and evidently did— eat every week!  Crazy.   And p.s., there was plenty of turkey and et cetera still being served every Wednesday at 1pm when I went to lunch.  I just don't get that obsession.  When I was young, turkey wasn't so common and thus it was kind of a big deal the one time a year when you did see it.  In retrospect, I think we savored the idea of a rare treat rather than its actual and tenuous flavor.  Maybe that's what drove those workers to their Wednesday queue.

Meanwhile, this Thanksgiving, I'll be eating a shredded Turkey from a Puerto Rican restaurant (better, still not great).  Although it's been a year with much sadness for my family, I still realize how very fortunate I am and how many things I have to be thankful for.  And while I'm taking a moment to be grateful, I'll be busy shovelling stuffing into my mouth because let's face it, that's what Thanksgiving dinner is really all about.

I hope your bird is moist-ish, your stuffing delicious; and all the other side dishes: may they be plentiful and at least warm if not hot.  I hope, as you give thanks, that you sit in the company of friends and family.  And most of all, I hope you have the good sense to relax at home on (especially) Thursday & Friday... instead of joining a frenzy of crazed shoppers fighting over the same crappy sale items as last year.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Turkey Lurkey