A sign for our times
Feb. 6th, 2006 10:52 amEven though I wasn't searching for it, I have discovered something that is truly symbolic of the time in which we live. It's not something you'd ordinarily notice, but it sums up everything about our current lifestyle. It silently tells us who we are and how we face life. It reveals personalities and defines character.
It's margarine.
For a while there, I used to claim that I didn't notice the difference between margarine and butter. And it was true - it all tasted like yellow pasty stuff that you spread on bread to stop its being so dry in sandwiches to me. It was always soft and it was inoffensive. In short, it seemed the way to go.
This all changed when my Timothy brought home some "spreadable" butter from the supermarket in order to make garlic bread. The garlic bread was inordinately successful and I afterwards used the leftovers for my sandwiches the next day. When I bit into said sandwiches, I suddenly realised that I could tell the difference between margarine and butter... and I liked butter more. Much, much more.
Accordingly, when the "spreadable" butter ran out, we bought plain old ordinary butter instead of margarine. This morning, as we waited for our crumpets and muffins to toast, my Timothy brought up the issue of the butter's rather solid state and waxed lyrical about margarine's more easy-going, spreadable nature. I, meanwhile, set about scraping off as much butter as possible before the various toasting items were ready.
That's when it struck me: we're a margarine society. We want things quickly and easily and we want them now. We'd rather have a tasteless, yellow mush on our toast because it spreads straight from the fridge. We'd rather have ease than the delightful taste of butter, just because it takes a bit of effort to encourage the butter to make the journey to your muffin in the morning.
I have to admit, I am a bit of a margarine person but as I watched the curls of butter appear on my knife this morning, I realised that I wanted to be a butter person. I want to put a bit of effort in for a greater reward. This is quite unlike me - I'm usually the laziest person around. But now I have the taste for butter and I want more. If a little effort is rewarded with the simple pleasure of butter, I wonder what rewards would await an even greater effort?
All I know is that it's worth it - my muffin tasted much more delicious than it would have with margarine.
It's margarine.
For a while there, I used to claim that I didn't notice the difference between margarine and butter. And it was true - it all tasted like yellow pasty stuff that you spread on bread to stop its being so dry in sandwiches to me. It was always soft and it was inoffensive. In short, it seemed the way to go.
This all changed when my Timothy brought home some "spreadable" butter from the supermarket in order to make garlic bread. The garlic bread was inordinately successful and I afterwards used the leftovers for my sandwiches the next day. When I bit into said sandwiches, I suddenly realised that I could tell the difference between margarine and butter... and I liked butter more. Much, much more.
Accordingly, when the "spreadable" butter ran out, we bought plain old ordinary butter instead of margarine. This morning, as we waited for our crumpets and muffins to toast, my Timothy brought up the issue of the butter's rather solid state and waxed lyrical about margarine's more easy-going, spreadable nature. I, meanwhile, set about scraping off as much butter as possible before the various toasting items were ready.
That's when it struck me: we're a margarine society. We want things quickly and easily and we want them now. We'd rather have a tasteless, yellow mush on our toast because it spreads straight from the fridge. We'd rather have ease than the delightful taste of butter, just because it takes a bit of effort to encourage the butter to make the journey to your muffin in the morning.
I have to admit, I am a bit of a margarine person but as I watched the curls of butter appear on my knife this morning, I realised that I wanted to be a butter person. I want to put a bit of effort in for a greater reward. This is quite unlike me - I'm usually the laziest person around. But now I have the taste for butter and I want more. If a little effort is rewarded with the simple pleasure of butter, I wonder what rewards would await an even greater effort?
All I know is that it's worth it - my muffin tasted much more delicious than it would have with margarine.
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