Goal #49) Eat Sushi

Quite possibly the easiest goal on my list is to eat sushi.  All it requires is putting an object in my mouth, chewing it followed by a swallow.  Simple.  Why, then, would I put something which is done every day by hoards of people around the world?  I chose to make eating sushi a goal in order to encourage myself to try new things that I wouldn’t otherwise do.  To many people, eating sushi seems like a silly thing to put on a list of “life goals” but for me, growing up in a small Midwestern town, eating sushi is pretty exotic.

Yesterday I traveled to Chicago with a school group.  During our journey I happened across a restaurant which prepared fresh sushi.  I was about to pass up the opportunity when my girlfriend politely reminded me that eating sushi was on my list and now was the perfect time to cross that goal off of my list.  She was right, and I was nervous.

I didn’t know what to expect.  There was a wide variety to choose from and I didn’t know where to begin.  Luckily I had reinforcement, experienced sushi eaters, who recommended California Sushi; crab with avocado wrapped in (I think) seaweed, then covered in white rice.  It seemed perfect.  I like crab, avocado and rice.  I wasn’t sure what to expect of the seaweed, but I wasn’t too concerned with that.

I placed my order and watched it be made right before my eyes.  When I received my dish it looked good enough and I tried a small sample of some unknown object off to the side.  It turned out to be very sour and spicy all at the same time.  Intriguing.  Then it was time for the sushi.  I grabbed my chopsticks and picked up the small circle of food, smelled it, hesitated, then put it in my mouth and began chewing.

My first impression was one of uncertainty.  It didn’t seem bad, but it wasn’t good either.  I chewed some more and suddenly I thought I wasn’t going to be able to swallow it.  My mind was playing games on me.  I kept chewing and finally managed to swallow a small piece.  Some more chewing and I thought I was going to have to spit it out, but I persisted.  I fought my irrationality and finally swallowed the rest of the sushi.  Then I took a long drink of water for good measure.

I wouldn’t say that the flavor of the sushi was bad or even that anything about it was bad.  I just think my mind was rejecting the food out of some subconscious fear or thought that what I was eating was gross.  I’m glad that I finally ate sushi, even though it didn’t turn out to be my favorite thing.  I’m sure that I will try it again, possibly another type or style.  I have been informed that there are a variety of ways to prepare sushi, not simply as a roll.

It is important to always keep an open mind and try new things.  If you don’t put yourself outside of your comfort zone occasionally you will miss out on many great opportunities.  Telling yourself “no” or limiting yourself can have serious consequences on your life and your success.  You should know when to say “no”, but also when to say “yes”.