SLO LIFE Magazine AugSep 2020

| TASTE
Waffles
A RECIPE FOR RESOLVE
BY JAIME LEWIS
Awaffle is one of the very rare foods whose name can be used
as a verb. “To waffle” is to fail to make up one’s mind. It is a
sin not of commission but of omission.
I recently suffered from a bout of waffling. The opportunity to raise my
voice stood before me, one of those uncomfortable grown-up moments
in which character and community hang in the balance. Incidentally, I ate
waffles for this column as I considered my options. I like to think those
tasty breakfasts gave me resolve.
We’ve all had the chance to take a stand lately. Will we or won’t we be
strong enough to admit our part in the problem? Will we or won’t we
commit to listening? Will we or won’t we be open to change?
For all my vacillating, I eventually chose to speak. When I did, the words
tasted sweet as maple syrup and melted butter on my tongue.
It’s precisely because waffles are so good that I am hereby redefining
70 | SLO LIFE MAGAZINE | AUG/SEP 2020
the verb “to waffle.” No longer will
it represent a state of passivity or
weakness. From now on, it will signify
the determination to live differently.
From now on, when someone “waffles,”
it means they’re measuring their motives
and drinking deeply the nectar of divine
humility. Because the satisfaction of
eating a really good waffle only begins to
imitate the satisfaction of earning one’s
own self-respect.
I tasted three different waffles across
San Luis Obispo County, each of them
a delicious specimen of the dish. I hope
you’ll taste them for yourself. And, more
importantly, I hope you will waffle, early
and often. >>
JAIME LEWIS writes about
food, drink, and the good
life from her home in San
Luis Obispo. Find her on
Instagram/Twitter @jaimeclewis.