Last Meal

[peacetraveler22]

In the mountains of Wyoming, I came across a young couple in a lodge. Internet reception is very sparse in the region, but in the national park there's a lodge where reception is good and computers are free for use. The couple was sitting beside me at a station, frantically searching the Internet for a Hardee's location in the area. It was a serious discussion, trying to figure out where this hamburger joint was located. They even got into a heated argument over how to get there, how long it would take, etc. It was as though they were calculating the driving route to a pot of gold, when in fact this is an ordinary American fast food restaurant.

I became curious and asked the guy why they were on a quest to find a Hardee's. After all, there's tons of restaurants in the area where you can get a much better hamburger, but at a higher price. He explained the couple had been camping and hiking in the national parks of the West for the past two months, living on very little calories each day due to limited finances. So this crappy burger to them would be a real treat and delicacy. Amazing the simple things that please people.

Later that night, I started thinking about last meals. In America, the death penalty is still legal in 32 States. My home State of Virginia takes second place in the total number of executions since 1976, and Texas is the champion by a large margin. Virginia has executed a total of 110 death row inmates since 1976 and Texas 503!! I'm ambivalent about the death penalty, but I know many foreign countries view it as barbaric. Before execution, the prisoner is entitled to a "last meal," any food they desire brought to them on the eve of execution. Not surprisingly, vegetables are rarely chosen. The most common choices are meats like steak, hamburgers and chicken, combined with fries and ice-cream or pie. It's some type of morbid fascination to read about last meals, but I admit I find it interesting.

My last meal would consist only of sweets! I don't care about meat in any way. A big plate of chocolate cake, cheesecake, tiramisu and ice-cream. And maybe macaroni 'n' cheese. This is a decadent Southern dish - basically noodles covered in tons of rich cheeses. Here's a photo of the tasty dish.



What about you? If you knew life would end tomorrow, what would you choose as your last meal? And what do Russians think of the death penalty? I believe it was abolished in the country many years ago, but I could be mistaken. Perhaps life in a harsh Russian prison is punishment enough? I haven't read much about inmate living conditions or treatment in Russian prisons, but I'm very interested in criminal psychology. "The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers" sits on my book shelf, right beside poetry and travel books. Good to have diverse interests! :)

Comments

[nar-row.livejournal.com]

No, you are not. :)
I just don't like it.
Maybe it's just a stupid little complex, but still.