Value is malleable and dependant on the context

One of the most amazing meals I’ve ever had ended up being pretty simple, a meal I’ve had many times before.

We’d just returned from Tucson, AZ early because our son needed emergency surgery. They had to do the surgery before we even landed, so we were checking updates on the spotty airplane WiFi on our way back east.

When we landed, we stopped by a McDonald’s drive-through.

I forget exactly what I ordered. Could have been a quarter pounder, maybe a Big Mac, maybe it was even just a large fries.

But it was the most delicious meal I’ve ever had.

After a harrowing day of being inside my own head and out of my mind at the same time, to feel the saltiness of the ultra-processed McDonald’s food was the most comforting thing I can remember in a very long time.

Like being wrapped in a warm blanket.

Perhaps the intrinsic quality of food, or any input, can change depending on the external circumstances.

Another example: a $10 bottle of wine shared among your best friends might taste sweeter than a $4000 bottle of wine alone in your apartment.

Conversely, you might not even remember the dinner you ate on the night of your wedding, even though it cost a fortune.

Value is so malleable, so dependent on the context. Sometimes it’s easy to spot. Sometimes it hides from us.

What’s valuable to you, right now?

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