Limits to Desire

"The Ingredients" by Jason Reynolds is not just a carefree story about a group of young boys hanging out in the summer, but rather it raises the discussion that dreams and desires are often limited by the circumstances people find themselves in. Basically, life gets in the way. This story begins with a depiction of a group of young boys soaking up the cooling comfort at the pool in the summer heat. When they finish their time at the pool, they walk back to their neighborhood, taking turns descriptively listing off different sandwiches they want to eat from the various deli shops they pass. In many ways, they almost over-glorify the food. The author describes that "they only notice how green the lettuce is. How red the tomato. The perfect folds of meat..". I think that the intention with these descriptions is to show just how badly these boys want to eat a sandwich. The reader can then make the assumption that when "Flaco returns from the kitchen with four bowls, a box of cereal, and a half gallon of milk" it is because the boys can't afford, or are not allowed to get those loaded sandwiches they so desire. 

It is human nature to desire. We dream and over-glorify seemingly ordinary things because we think it will make us feel fulfilled. Whether that is true or not is a whole other discussion. Every summer, my friends and I always talk and talk about how we want to make the most out of the summer. We want to go on beach trips, do crafts and go hiking. Unfortunately, most of these plans never happen. Some still do, and don't get me wrong, I have still had some great summers, but it is true that our plans often get limited because life gets in the way. We have jobs, families, and other responsibilities outside of just having fun with friends all summer. Life circumstances really do just get in the way sometimes.