This is a speech I delivered at Toastmasters in her honour that speaks to the importance of balance in many areas of our lives.
It looms in the sky, tall, shiny, red and white, this beacon of deep-fried, fast-food goodness that beams back at me with its warm friendly smile. My heart skips a few beats and a grin comes across my mouth-watering lips as the familiar aroma wafts through the air. This is the place where fond memories have forever been deep fried into my heart, at the home of the Colonel, this land of the bucket and the barrel, at none other than Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Food is a huge part of our culture and personal history and some foods stir up very strong memories of our childhood. You can likely think of a food that triggers a stroll down memory lane for yourself. In fact the food-memory link results in a rush of good endorphins into the brain, chemicals that make us feel good. While some of you may not share my fondness for KFC as it is often referred to, I can assure you that even a deep-fried, trans-fat laden, finger lickin' good food can have positive side effects on your heart.
I was blessed with a grandmother named Mary Robb who was revered for three things; her permanently positive nature, her pride in her family and her love of food. I remember an incident that happened in her later years, at a time when she began to lose some of her memory. She was visiting our house, in mid-story, when she realized that her facts weren't all quite straight. She paused, shrugged her shoulders with a smile and said, "Well my memory's not working so well but at least my forgetter's working really well."
Such was the nature of my Gramma Robb. Some of my most magical memories however are the times that she took us on dates with her and the Colonel.
Gramma didn't like to cook. She loved to eat out. She lived alone so she always enjoyed a visit from her grandchildren, as much as we enjoyed visiting her. My mom, who was a single parent, raised my two siblings and myself. Money was tight so we didn't eat out often and when we did, it was a huge treat. As children we were able to capitalize on this convergence of factors and over the years developed a rather symbiotic chicken relationship with our grandmother that worked like this.
We would arrive at Gramma's house at approximately 11:30 a.m., just inside of the lunch hour, knowing that her tummy was likely beginning to think lunchtime thoughts. She'd see three hungry grandchildren greet her at the door and within seconds she'd be grabbing her purse and car keys, whisking us away in her 1972 Green Dodge Dart to take us to the home of the Colonel.
Our order was always the same – a bucket of deep-fried chicken love, luminescent Martian green cole-slaw, Grecian bread that sprayed butter down your arm with every bite and yes, a side of fries with that please. We would take our meal back to Gramma's house and enjoy it around her dining room table. We'd laugh. We'd share. We'd lick our fingers. We'd enjoy. In these moments, my Gramma was larger than life. She was hosting a party for us. She had created a magical experience, and treated us to a hugely positive adventure. We knew that we were loved, appreciated and special. And she knew that the feelings were very much reciprocated.
My Grandmother died in 1997, at the age of 94. And yes, she lived to that age having enjoyed a diet that included the occasional dose of Kentucky Fried Chicken. However, she also made sure that she enjoyed a lifestyle that was rich in love, sharing and positivity.
Every September since her death, around the time of her birthday, I celebrate her memory by hosting the Mary Robb Memorial KFC Dinner. I do this to honour a woman who injected so much joy into the life of a child, a bit of fat into my arteries, to a woman whose legacy continues to leave a smile on the faces and in the hearts of those who knew and loved her.
Some may argue that Kentucky Fried Chicken isn't healthy. They might argue "but all that fat, look what that might do to your heart!!!" Yes indeed, look what it might do to your heart...I look back over the course of my lifetime at all the chicken that I've consumed and say, "I am most grateful for the positive effect that eating Kentucky Fried Chicken has had on my mine".
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