Creative Writing: Mental Illness

There are days when food is a haven from daily chaos; there are days when you don’t have the time to savor food; there are days when food can be ruined by the words surrounding it. A cold wind sweeps through Muskegon as we walk into the hotel. Seeking refuge from the cold and from our hunger we search for the hotel restaurant. Breakfast is upon us. We walk into a dim room past the hotel lobby; several vinyl chairs and booths greet us. The air feels stale and flat, there is no one here except our party and a single waitress. Breakfast consists of either an overpriced buffet, or a slightly less overpriced menu. The other members of my party opt for the stale cereal and day old pastries of the buffet, while I remain at our small table to order off the …show more content…
I assured her that I was confident I only wanted water and a side of english muffins. I understand her confusion; it was a small order. Her stare did not leave my face as she sat down at the table with me, cheap vinyl upholstery squeaking beneath her. “Honey,” she paused before grabbing my hand. “You don’t need to starve yourself to lose weight; you’re too young. Anorexia-” I had no idea how to respond to this unprovoked speech about the dangers of anorexia. After several seconds of confusion and offense I reassured her that I was not starving myself. She patted my shoulder in maternal concern before finally leaving me alone at my table again. Although I appreciate her willingness to help people in need, her comments on my eating behaviours were without context, baseless, and vaguely offensive. My party eventaully returned to the table with their overly sweetened yet still bland muffins and green apples which had been left out for a few days too long. The waitress arrived several minutes later, my english muffins in tow. The sweet bread and buttery warmth crunchy on my tongue. The light brown of the crumpet held the delightful texture and warmth of bread placed in the