A Matter of Taste
“Just take a taste, one bite,” my grandmother smiled, adding, “Taste changes. And this time, you never know, you might like it.”
Seemed reasonable to my seven-year-old self to accept that invitation, especially when I looked at my grandfather and he nodded. But it wasn’t just an option; it was GUILT too.
You see, these were his green beans, grown in his garden, every summer. So I tried a bite of those green beans and…I liked them! Smoothly, simply, and unknowingly, I had been introduced to “the taste test.”
As the summers at my grandparents rolled by, they became a taste tour through my grandfather’s garden from green beans to peas, beets, radishes, and on and on until finally, in the summer of my final year in high school, I hit asparagus, and the sworn solemn vow that the taste would always be awful.
That was the summer I also learned about the taste of asparagus blended with the taste of my own words. Asparagus remains my favorite to this day. I’m not sure I can say as much for the words except that I began to learn that words have flavor too…and to pay attention to how they are chosen because you may have to eat them!
Through the years my grandmother’s invitation has stayed with me. I still hear the voice with a French accent saying, “You don’t have to like it, just try it. Try one bite.” Only today, this advice applies to more than just food.
SHARING STORIES is a weekly column for and about the 50 plus crowd living in the Puget Sound region. Send your stories and photos to ariele@comcast.net. Tell local or personal stories; discuss concerns around aging and other issues; share solutions, good luck, and reasons to celebrate; poems are fine too. Pieces may be edited or excerpted. We reserve the right to select among pieces. Photos are always a plus and a one-sentence bio is requested (where you live, maybe age or career, retired status, etc.).
SHARING STORIES is featured on http://www.northwestprimetime.com, the website for Northwest Prime Time, a monthly publication for baby boomers, seniors, retirees, and those contemplating retirement. The newspaper can be found in the greater Seattle area and other Puget Sound locations. For more information, call 206-824-8600 or visit http://www.northwestprimetime.com. To find other SHARING STORIES articles on this website type “sharing stories” in the search function above.
