At the beginning of this year, I nearly expired from a symphony of ailments. You may recall hearing about it. I certainly recall it. At least, I recall the parts that actually happened. My brain ginned up a lot of nonsense while I was sick. But we’ve been through all that.
Anyway, to the point of this little essay. Since I was discharged from the hospital, my appetite for sweets has dropped by about 80%. I don’t know what to chalk this up to. Perhaps the dialysis treatments have an effect on my taste buds. Maybe this is some lingering aspect of the hospitalization. Or, and this one seems to make a lot of sense, “A Gift From God.”
Sugar and I, you see, have been like peas and carrots since I was young enough to feed my baby brother little pieces of frosted Pop-Tarts through the slats in his crib. My apartment, for years and years, has been a den of sweet iniquity. Zingers, cereals that end in “Pebbles”, Hershey’s Miniatures, and on and on and on.
But now? Most sweets just don’t taste very good to me. The other day I stopped into a Maverik and bought a pack of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. I ate the first one, but could not bring myself to eat the second. And the first one tasted lousy. It can be very frustrating…my eyes and my memory kick into high gear when I see a Kit Kat bar or a box of Zingers. But my mouth is a conscientous objector.
Like I said earlier, this really is a gift from God. Because I’m sure curbing the sugar intake is the best thing, and not a moment too soon.
Oh, and by the way: There are some sweet things I still enjoy. Ice cream still tastes good. Baked goods still taste yummy–not the store bought kind though…au revoir Zingers. I will remember each of your three varieties with equal fondness.