Prompted by Google's policy of deactivating inactive accounts, we were wondering how our little blog from yesteryear was faring. To our surprise, there was a little bit of engagement, so thank you!
This blog was initially started during a time of immense stress in our lives where going to restaurants provided a reprieve. Things quickly became overwhelming though and unfortunately, this was one of the things that fell by the wayside.
However, over time, the husband has reminisced about this blog and the culinary adventures we went on where we documented our seafood-free eats and experiences. Things have certainly not changed considerably over the past 11 years (!) where we still have to advocate for ourselves and navigate the task of finding places to eat that can accommodate seafood allergies.
One of the things we have sadly observed is that food allergies really are an imposition to others. Our social lives have actually been negatively affected where we have lost friends over having a seafood allergy. While this has proved to be a blessing in disguise (we likely wouldn't want these friends in our lives if they're upset about a medical condition that cannot be helped), we have noticed the challenges that arise when others feel that their choices are being "infringed" upon. Since we are all too familiar with dietary restrictions, we aim to be sensitive and empathetic to others, whether in selecting accommodating restaurants or in preparing specific meals when hosting. And yet, this same courtesy is not always extended to us :(
Another place that has been fraught with tension has been the workplace. Some have been better than others, but there is definitely a sense of resentment when one cannot participate in workplace activities - from others, not the person suffering the allergy, mind you! We won't get into all the details, but suffice it to say, the wife had to endure a mandatory work meal to a restaurant that no one told her was an oyster bar (until they brought them all out to the tables!). Let's take someone with a gluten allergy to a bakery and not let them know (okay, maybe that one's too obvious). But really? In this day and age of a myriad of workplace accommodations? Sigh.
As much as we had hoped that things would change for the better with an increased understanding of allergies, not to mention an increased prevalence, it sometimes feels like no time has passed at all since we began this blog. It's both disheartening but also a slight bit encouraging in that maybe we can help shed light on why food allergies are so important to be aware of in social and work situations.
All this being said, we are considering bringing Seafood-Free Eats back, especially as we have certainly eaten our fair share of Calgary and beyond. We will have to look at better balancing our capacity this time as we would hate to start, stop, start, and stop again. Let's hope that 11 years later, we can make it stick a little better!