Would You Like That Wrapped?

When I was a child, at one point I was sitting in the middle of an expensive Italian restaurant. It was your atypical shrimp penne alla vodka, priced at eighteen dollars. I munched away at the sweet yet repetitive taste of pasta and vodka sauce. After ten minutes I start to wonder if I have even made a dent into the pile of pasta, for the majority of the pasta was still on the plate . I finally decided that I was too full and tired of vodka sauce. Just as I’m pushing my plate away with a third of the meal left, suddenly the waiter shows up asking the question.  

“Would you like that wrapped?”

Feeling frugal and efficient, I foolishly replied that I would love to get it wrapped. Sure I may have eaten all five shrimps, leaving the bland pile of pasta with vodka sauce, but I thought I could just eat it over the weekend. Little did I know it would mold up in my refrigerator after two months.

Sadly, this cycle of leftovers continued. I could never forget the “beautiful” smell of mold as my mother ordered me to throw the leftovers away and to even disinfect the refrigerator. I would trash blueberry pancakes, shrimp lomein, sushi, and pineapple pizza. Each time I would wonder why I was so lazy, and didn’t touch it.

It wasn’t until only a few years ago I finally ate my first leftovers: crab ravioli. It was in that moment that I realized why I didn’t eat leftovers. It tasted dry, cold, and nasty, and reminded me of every time I had thrown away moldy, old leftovers. From that moment on, I would decline getting my meal wrapped. However, each time I answered no to the waiter, I felt guilty!

Does this mean I’m not frugal anymore? Should I just suck up the moldy memories and eat the leftovers? What about those children in Africa or China who are hungry? Many of these questions would haunt me whenever I ate out so I finally reached a conclusion I could live with. If I’m satisfied with how much I eat my meal, then I’m getting my money’s worth. I've learned, through my experience that getting left overs is not worth the stomach ache. If finishing all of my meal leaves me lethargic, then finishing my meal with a quarter left is worth it. Likewise, if I’m to bring leftovers home for a future unsatisfying meal, then I shouldn’t wrap it. I'm not being pompous in deciding not to finish meal, but that I know my limits. Now whenever I eat out, I feel confident in indulging myself however much I want. 

So no, I would not like that wrapped.