Cantaloupe and Other Feats

I have never liked fruit. This was never a big deal to me, just something to work around. It’s the texture that really bothers me, so I have just really never eaten fruit, with the exception of apples and raisins. So I would always just pick the pineapple off birthday-party pizzas and skip the salads at wedding receptions. Not liking fruit is a handicap that is easily dealt with, really.

It has only been recently, though, that I have realized that this is a bit odd. “You don’t like fruit?” is the way other people usually take it. This started to make me feel like my not liking fruit was a distinguishing feature, a sort of party trick and an odd quirk that was useful for get to know you games: “I have never eaten an orange” is a little more memorable than “I like reading.” As unique as it makes me, though, it’s maybe something that needs to change.

The other day, I had cantaloupe. It wasn’t anything like me deciding I needed to eat cantaloupe, but just because I had no idea what the waitress was telling me and it turns out “the first one” she had said was actually an appetizer of ham and cantaloupe. When it came, I took a deep breath…and tucked in.

And Monday I had strawberries for the first time in my life. I was over at the Warenghein’s for Family Home Evening, and the dessert was a strawberry tart. I really like desserts. I didn’t want to say I didn’t want any. And I had handled the cantaloupe. So, I took a deep breath….

The strawberries tasted like strawberry flavored Twizzlers—well, funny thing. They were pretty tasty. I am still not too fond of the texture, but fruit is a pretty amazing thing. I won’t go as far as to say that I like it. I will say, though, that the Granny Smith apple I had today, that was tart and crisp with juice that filled my mouth, was amazing.