Cultural Musings

I had almost forgotten this blog.

I started it because friends were all doing them and they seemed like so much fun at the time. Pretty soon it I realized it gave me the same performance anxiety that I used to get when I was in school and had a paper due and no idea what I wanted to write about. I couldn't decide how much of my personal life to reveal either. If people who actually know me happen to read this will I offend them or say more than I want them to know?

I thought I could just keep this completely anonymous ....like a one-night stand. Interesting thought but then who even cares enough to bother finding or reading the blog?

I just found a nice comment left by someone named Juicy Fruit with an invitation to look at his blog. I checked it out and wanted to post a comment only it appears that there isn't anyway to leave a comment there. So I will put my comment here and maybe someday Mr Juicy Fruit will see it.

I like the name JUICYFRUIT because it reminds me of my Grandmother. She always had a pack of Juicyfruit gum in her purse. When I was small she would always offer me gum....she would pull out a stick and break it in half so we shared. She had a funny little cackle and southern accented "Half a stick is really all a person needs."

She never was far from her tube of Ben-Gay either, but for reasons known to any who have ever smelled the stuff, I don't get excited over Ben-Gay. When she died my sister and I stood over her open casket and simultaneously concluded we had failed her by neglecting to place a tube of Ben-Gay in her casket to keep her happy in the Everafter. But I digress.....

I bought one of those huge bonus packs of Wrigley Juicyfruit in its iconic bright yellow foil wrapper about a month ago. I don't know why I did....I am not a big gum chewer anymore. When I opened the pack the sweet aroma ushered me back to visions of her. Sweet memories of the most hilarious and confident woman I have ever known. Ah... the taste....nothing else in this world tastes like Juicyfruit gum. I can't even describe it. It makes me feel like a small child, but in the good way.

That bonus pack of Juicyfruit is still here at my desk with a few sticks remaining. I haven't wanted to finish them because I like to smell them and finishing the pack will end my pleasure or compel me to but another package for the sake of indulging my obsessive nostalgia.

Thanks Mr. Juicyfruit blog guy.....I enjoyed my trip down Grandma memory lane....I hope you are having a great time in your newlywed life.