Let me offer a simple tale of caution to those navigating the piranha-infested waters of modern relationships, where seemingly minor decisions made without consideration may abruptly alter the ultimate outcome of your life. This one’s impressive, and a little close-to-home:
After a date, my wife once broke up with a boyfriend for ordering the chicken.
Yes, it was that simple. Choosing the poultry option on a Saturday evening dinner date brought a budding romance to a screeching halt, and there was nothing he could do to recover.
Tough crowd, right?
Before you demonize my wife (I can already hear her howling in protest), this likely requires a bit more explanation. She claims that her decision to end the relationship the next day was not based on a general prejudice against our fine feathered friends (or whatever limp vegetable that probably accompanied it). The chicken itself was not to blame. It’s what his decision to order the chicken represented about him, confirming her previous suspicions that he was not right for her in the end. Ordering the chicken was pedestrian. It was safe. It was ordinary. And, above all else, it, was BORING.
And so he was gone, perhaps confused as to why she no longer returned his phone calls but hopefully at least somewhat satisfied by his Chicken Piccata.
As for me…on our first date, I had the pasta. Or maybe it was a steak, I’m not entirely sure. Whatever it was, I can pretty much guarantee it wasn’t chicken. And thank god for that, as I had no idea that what I chose to eat that night was fraught with such importance.
But here’s the thing: I actually like chicken.
In fact, I think I like it a lot. I’m a fairly adventurous eater, and have become more so with a greater willingness to experiment and try new things. But chicken remains an excellent fall-back, a fail safe that can be counted on to deliver in almost any circumstance. And a great Chicken Parmigiana remains one of my comfort food staples, tough to beat on a cold winter’s night…or really any night when I just want something good to eat.
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