Dear Aunt Sally,
The milk ran out. I knew this day would come eventually, but I feel so unprepared. Well, I mean, its run out before, but we always had another carton of it, but this time it’s all out. I’m having a really tough time accepting it. Yes, everyone goes through it at least once, but it happened so fast, one minute the jug is full and the next its been completely depleted. I just thought I would be able to handle it better. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad I don’t have to eat raisin bran; regardless of how much I like the suspiciously sugary raisins, the only reason I have been eating it all this time is because everyone says the fiber is good for me.
The issue is I’m struggling to figure out what I should eat instead. Now that I can’t eat raisin bran there are so many options. Should I go out to eat? It can be pretty expensive, but it will probably taste better than anything I could make at home. Unless I choose the wrong dish. I really haven’t had the opportunity to try a whole lot of different foods so I might pick a dish that I don’t like and end up wasting my time and money. Plus, even if I like the dish, I might not want to eat the leftovers. I guess I could make oatmeal, it’s less of a time commitment than going out, but it can be a real hit or miss and the flavor range is pretty limited. Taking an hour to think about it might be helpful, but if I get distracted and forget to think about what I want then I’ll end up back where I am now. And I don’t even know if I like breakfast food but everyone always says that it’s the most important meal of the day. I’m so confused. I can’t help but think that eating just raisin bran until now hasn’t allowed me to really explore my tastes and I’m afraid I will make the wrong decision. I don’t feel ready to make such a big commitment, I just wish I had a little more milk for today. This is the worst time to run out.
With urgency,
NoBraner
Dear NoBraner,
Everything in life must end, it’s inevitable, yet somehow none of us seem to be fully able to grasp this concept. No matter how much we may not want it to end, no matter how much we fight it or deny it’s happening, it will end. Phases of our lives will finish, friendships fade with time, relationships end in some way or another, and eventually everyone you do, will, have, or ever known will die. Humans either spend their time obsessing over how fleeting everything is or doing everything in their power to completely ignore it, perhaps thinking that, in some way, their refusal to accept it as a fact will make it unable to occur. Thinking like this is like thinking that by closing your eyes and plugging your ears while a train is blasting towards you on a train track will make the train magically disappear and prevent you from becoming a bloody pulp. But everything being fleeting is what makes it all so good, because you can’t fully appreciate something if you always have it. Without this impermanence sweet things wouldn’t be as sweet, things that bring joy would bring less and less joy until they cease to do so. It’s not bad when something ends, it just reminds you how precious everything is and to not let any of it go to waste. You never realize how amazing something is until you’re looking back at it.
And as far as what you should eat I’d definitely go with Chipotle. Ever since the e-coli fiasco it’s been cleaner and less crowded, plus they’ve got some pretty good guac going on.
Regards,
Aunt Sally