Susan S. Brooks, RD, MA
A long time ago, in a far away lunch room, I stood surveying my kingdom. The scent of freshly baked bread clung to my jacket like perfume. I was but a sweet young thing when the soft spoken man assured me that I was perfect to manage the high school cafeteria while teaching a food service career class. After a few harrowing experiences in the class room, I was having my doubts, but on this day, I was captain of my ship. Arms crossed I watched as about three hundred hungry, noisy high school students flooded into the cafeteria, assumed their customary seats, and began to inhale their meal. In the midst of this congregation, up stood a lanky boy with extremely long arms. He raised one of those long arms over his head, took aim, and propelled a tator tot through the air to make a direct hit on a red haired kid five tables away. The subject of the attack stood and positioned himself to retaliate. Before the orange wedge could leave his fingers, I blurted out at the top of my lungs, "Don't even think about it!" Don't even think about it? What was I thinking! The silence that ensued was paralyzing as three hundred adolescent heads turned and stared at me. There I stood like game in an open field. "Holy crap, I'm so dead,"squeaked a tiny voice in my head. Bracing myself to be pummeled with grapes and carrot sticks, I was quite taken a back when instead of those three hundred pairs of hands heaving clumps of food, they began to clap...slow and soft, and then louder and louder. What a rush! It was a sign! I had an epiphany. I was meant to be a school lunch lady!
Many changes and transitions in School Nutrition have been visualized and implemented since the day of my thwarted food fight. From past days of wiener wraps to our present days of organic salad bars and sushi I have worked with many fine lunch ladies and lads. They have inspired and taught me much. Always on the look for an adventure, I have now been given the opportunity to share the revelations and expertise I have acquired on my journey. I relish taking this new path.
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