Pushing the Noodles

Can you push a noodle in a straight line?

I sat looking at the steaming noodle on the tabletop. The question struck me recently when it became evident that the whole bowl was about to be tipped over. Many stray and highly uncooperative noodles would be lost and would not recover from the upset.

Surprisingly, the upset was quite intentional. The supporting container had been repurposed to corral and contain the noodles and now to fundamentally sort them, long from short and thick from thin. The apparent decision to use some control device, like a colander or sifter, was not present, nor apparently, any net or sieve to at least preserve the collected mass of noodles from falling into discord and disarray.

Naturally, the noodles, unable to fathom the process or provide any perspective, were expected to hold together and remain noodle-like in their appearance, consistency, and flavors. It would be useless if the noodles became mush or fell by the wayside. The cooks needed the noodles to be; they just needed to reconfigure the bowl.

Thus, the noodle on the tabletop. The spaghetti was no longer a tabletop dish; it was an internet merger - a meal and a show. It's like dinner theater, except the meal was supposed to pay for itself and become a conduit between the noodles and the consumers and carry their weight. Of course, any allegory breaks down under scrutiny, but here is the bottom line.

The Noodles can only be pushed if they are already in line, dry and lifeless. Straight out of the box, one can easily maneuver the noodle into whatever line form you want. But at that point, the form and function are tasteless, brittle,and easily broken.

Once you put the noodle into the heat and flame of becoming, however, the noodles quickly commence an interaction. they twist and contort, becoming flexible and resilient, and soon clump together, becoming a blended mixture full of energy, gaining taste and textures unexplored. But they lose a critical condition. They can no longer be pushed in any cogent way.

Of course, there is a solution. The noodles cannot be pushed, but they will follow if they are pulled and drawn in a direction. This process isn't done en masse, for each must be grasped and comprehended as an individual to be drawn. It is a time-intensive process, but it can be accomplished through discipline and dedication.

So, with the dumping of the noodle bowl, picking up the strays and realigning them will be a daunting task for the cooks.

We can offer a solution for all the noodles that feel lost and alone. Join the revolution. Feel free to be out here where the flavors are. There are more bowls in the cabinet.