The gum that cums in your mouth

I could have grown up into a full-fledged sugar-holic. My dad worked for a company that sold, among other things, lots of types of candies and cookies. There were always samples around the house. Actually, “samples” makes it sounds like little mini-packages of the candies and cookies. Oh no. We had CASES of the stuff sitting in our basement and garage. So where as most kids might go sneak a hard candy from their mom’s purse, I would sneak and entire case from the garage.

Truth be told, I was not a very good sneak and I had three younger sibling obsessed with finding me out and letting my mom know of my misdeeds (ha, Ellie, I know you’re reading this). But regardless, I learned how to consume hundreds of servings of candy in about 10 minutes. I built up a resistance to sugar and sugar substitute products that is really quite admirable.

And then, somehow, I quit the habit. I lost my passion for sugar and began a romance with salt that plagues me still. I mean, what is better that a salty chip dissolving on your tongue with it’s tart texture of flavors flooding your taste buds? Nothing.

One remnant of my younger days remains – my love of chewing gum. I like all the stupid childhood classics: Big League Chew, Bubble Yum, Hubba Bubba. But my favorite is Freshen-Up. Whenever I used to hang out with my grandfather, he chewed Freshen-Up. So when he offered me gum that’s what I got. It’s great. You bite into one of the pieces and a gelatinous goo works its ways out.

No one sells Freshen-Up, it seems, except for back roads gas stations. Whenever Wonder Boy and I are on trips, I spend every put stop scouring gas stations for some Freshen-Up. (I only like the green and blue flavors, though. The pink will do in a pinch but the red is straight up nasty.)

Today I stopped at the convenient store at work for some gum – I’ve been stressed and grinding and clenching my teeth so I thought chewing some gum would wear out my jaw so I would stop – and lo and behold! the store sells Freshen-Up! Oh, happy days.

This post originally appeared on Kate’s Point of View. © Kate. All rights reserved.