Decisions versus Choices
All I wanted for dinner was spaghetti. That started me pondering the question, is it the number of decisions we have to make or is it the number of choices we have that is adding stress to our lives? So, what’s the difference? A decision is defined as a conclusion or a judgment - I made a decision to have spaghetti for dinner. A choice is defined as an alternative or a number or variety from which to choose from – what type of sauce did I want. Here’s how it played out.
Home alone one night, I decided to have spaghetti for dinner, but we were out of sauce. Going to the store to get spaghetti sauce, I discovered there was a whole aisle to chose from, both brands and types. There were twenty-four brands each and every one made by a different company.
Then there are the types. I didn’t know there were so many ways to mess up spaghetti sauce! I immediately ruled out the white sauces, which reduced the number of shelves I had to look through. But there were still plenty to choose from; garden style, garden combination, garden sauce, garlic, garlic and herb, mushroom, chunky mushroom, olive oil and garlic, roasted red pepper, roasted red pepper with garlic, tomato and garlic, mushroom and green pepper, tomato with mushrooms and garlic, herbs and garlic, marinara, onion, sun dried tomato, mushroom and olive, spicy red pepper, sweet basil, vodka sauce, and vegetarian.
I didn’t see the “Traditional” sauce we usually buy but there were two sections left to check. Next, I entered the cheese section. There were additional choices; parmesan romano, cheese and garlic, three cheese, four cheese, six cheese, and Italian cheese. I left this section thinking if you want cheese add it to spaghetti after you have it covered with sauce.
I was losing hope but thought maybe, just maybe, it could be in the meat section. There they had meatball, sausage, Italian sausage, and one I never heard of called flavored with meat. If you’re going to flavor it with meat, why not eat the meat? Anyway, back to the search. There was meat, with real meat, and one with hearty meat. More questions – first, what type of “meat”, secondly, if one has real meat what is in the other one? Lastly, (and I really don’t want to know) what is hearty meat?
A store clerk took pity on me and asked if I was finding everything okay. I told her I was looking for traditional spaghetti sauce. She replied,”Oh, we quit carrying that one, it wasn’t a big seller”.
So what is it? Is it the number of decisions we have to make or the amount of choices we have which add stress to our lives? I don’t know. I went home empty handed and ate a grilled cheese. White bread, American cheese, I’m trying to simplify my life.
Home alone one night, I decided to have spaghetti for dinner, but we were out of sauce. Going to the store to get spaghetti sauce, I discovered there was a whole aisle to chose from, both brands and types. There were twenty-four brands each and every one made by a different company.
Then there are the types. I didn’t know there were so many ways to mess up spaghetti sauce! I immediately ruled out the white sauces, which reduced the number of shelves I had to look through. But there were still plenty to choose from; garden style, garden combination, garden sauce, garlic, garlic and herb, mushroom, chunky mushroom, olive oil and garlic, roasted red pepper, roasted red pepper with garlic, tomato and garlic, mushroom and green pepper, tomato with mushrooms and garlic, herbs and garlic, marinara, onion, sun dried tomato, mushroom and olive, spicy red pepper, sweet basil, vodka sauce, and vegetarian.
I didn’t see the “Traditional” sauce we usually buy but there were two sections left to check. Next, I entered the cheese section. There were additional choices; parmesan romano, cheese and garlic, three cheese, four cheese, six cheese, and Italian cheese. I left this section thinking if you want cheese add it to spaghetti after you have it covered with sauce.
I was losing hope but thought maybe, just maybe, it could be in the meat section. There they had meatball, sausage, Italian sausage, and one I never heard of called flavored with meat. If you’re going to flavor it with meat, why not eat the meat? Anyway, back to the search. There was meat, with real meat, and one with hearty meat. More questions – first, what type of “meat”, secondly, if one has real meat what is in the other one? Lastly, (and I really don’t want to know) what is hearty meat?
A store clerk took pity on me and asked if I was finding everything okay. I told her I was looking for traditional spaghetti sauce. She replied,”Oh, we quit carrying that one, it wasn’t a big seller”.
So what is it? Is it the number of decisions we have to make or the amount of choices we have which add stress to our lives? I don’t know. I went home empty handed and ate a grilled cheese. White bread, American cheese, I’m trying to simplify my life.
posted by Ralph at 4:06 AM
3 Comments:
Ralph, this is right on. Great Blog!! You are so correct, I spend most of my time in a store making sure it's the 'original' and not some improved version. Most of the time they should boldly advertise, "NEW AND IMPROVED, WE'VE SCREWED UP THE TASTE"!!.
What do you call a Saltine Cracker that has been improved by making it without salt? The funny thing is, it only resembles the original product in shape.
Ralph, where are you? I check here everyday and your readers need a new posting. ;)
Thanks Ralph for putting my blog on as one of your links.
By the way I think you have one two many I's in your e-mail. Everytime I make a comment my e-mail tells me unable to deliver with your e-mail address. I don't know why I get this in my e-mail but just thought I would tell you. Maybe because the comments are mailed to you? Oh well, I don't know.
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