The Upside of Food Poisoning

Nobody cares what I ate for lunch. Or so I've been told.

Still, I can't help but wonder whether my reader might be interested in what I'd consumed at midday if I were to suddenly develop a foodborne illness and spend the rest of the day crawling from bed to toilet, hands clasped above my trembling stomach as it did its best to violently expel every last whisper of its contents. The chances are good someone might be curious about the fine culinary work that had left me in such a state.

Interestingly enough, this is exactly how I spent the hours that bridged the divide between Friday night and Saturday morning. Celebrating the joys of sushi-induced food poisoning. The experience put quite a damper on my weekend plans, particularly when I proceeded to suffer from a dehydration-induced fainting spell during a poorly-conceived Saturday late lunch out. Though I have largely recovered at this point, I would be lying if I claimed not to still be victimized by the occasional "Dear God, take me to the nearest toilet" intestinal twinge while I sit in the library reading Stiglitz's analysis of the '97 East Asian currency crisis.

However, there is something to be said for the unifying power of food poisoning. All but the most iron-gutted of us seem to have fallen victim to its fiery clutches at one point or another, and the horror at its 1-2 punch gastrointestinal takeover is unanimous. The outpouring of support from friends, family and community in my time of incapacitation was overwhelming. Not only was I overcome by a warm loving glow when the friend who'd supplied me with the offending raw fish brought me ginger ale and apple slices in bed, but I have never felt closer to a restaurant employee than when our waitress immediately swooped over to rescue me from the perils of the floor, all the while making concerned noises.

All things considered, I can't help but feel a slight fondness towards food poisoning and the human connections it fostered in my life this weekend. Perhaps I'll go back for round two of the tuna rolls next Friday.