Eating on the Edge- Horwitz

            In Horwitz’s article Eating at the Edge, he discusses characteristics of that term itself, and what it means.  In the article, Horwit’z describes “eating at the edge” as occasions when food is an additive to a situation, such as a cigarette would be, rather than being definite” (Horowitz, 42).  Overall, this is stating that the actual act of eating, and enjoying food within itself is becoming less and less common.  In our own lives today this is very apparent.  I know in my case alone there are several instances where I have to grab food on the go, without really enjoying it at all.  Many mornings on my way to class I have to rush, so I will run into the cafeteria, make a quick bagel or breakfast sandwich, and munch it down as quickly as I can before I reach my class.  There are so many instances like this that are common in our world today.  We are on the go all the time, whether we need to rush to work or school, run quick errands, or hurry to pick children up from school or practices.  America is very fast paced, and we all need to eat.  Therefore, eating “on-the-go” has become much more prevalent in our society, and in turn, society aids in this phenomenon.

            Horwitz discusses early in his article the creations of Soup at Hand and TV dinners.  He explains how back in the 1950s, TV dinners were created.  They were fast, portable, and allowed a different setting for people eating dinner. As the TV was a relatively new invention, and not everyone had one, the creation of the “TV Dinner” was a way to emphasize the new, hip activities one can do with a TV, including actually being able to eat a portable dinner while watching it.  From the start of this, our society has created several other portable foods for our fast-paced society.  The Soup at Hand is a container created for a quick meal of soup, without requiring the usual necessities to actually eat soup, such as a bowl and spoon.  It is “a finely engineered, vacuum-molded, ergonomically grippable mug with a surface area enhanced for microwave radiation and sized to fit a car’s cup holder before being discarded” (Horwitz, 43-44).  Other examples of “on-the-go” foods like these include Lunchables, Starkist’s Lunch to Go’s, and pre-made salads.  The intentions of these products are to provide people with a quick form of lunch without having to slow down their day.  However, what has this done to our society?

            Family meals are something that has declined drastically due to meals like these.  It starts as far back as the TV dinners from the 50’s.  Traditional meals consist of friends and family sitting around a table, completely focused on each other and their food, and enjoying each other’s company while doing so.  However, if a person can just run to the nearest gas station and pick up a Lunch to Go without having to slow down their day, why eat a family meal? Horwitz also states this fact: “Taking time to share food, as part of a daily routine (not a special occasion), is becoming less common in the U.S. as unstructured eating patterns become more familiar and varied” (Horwitz, 45).  If society keeps supporting this idea of quick meals with a steady decline of traditional meal times with family, then eventually the pureness of eating a family meal will potentially disappear forever.