Straw Wrappers

Recently, I looked over the list of blog ideas that I compiled in the middle of the night when I became blog possessed.  There was some obvious ideas such as "lessons I've learned though life," "things I don't like," and "what the world needs now..."  However, the one that caught my eye was "straw wrappers."

Straw wrappers - what the heck is that about?  Right between blog idea #11 and # 12  was straw wrappers.  Why would I write that down?  I could not think for the life of me why I would want to write about straw wrappers.  Did I fall asleep at that point, and write it in my sleep?  No matter how hard I tried, I could not retrieve the mental pathway that led to straw wrappers.  Finally, I gave up and walked away from the list.

The next day I happened to mention the mysterious straw wrappers to Soulmate.  He got this huge grin on his face and said "Sure, I could see you writing down straw wrappers - think about it!"  Slowly, the haze of my 55 year old mind began to clear.  I think I blushed a little realizing what this was all about and would I really want to share this with the blog world.  Of all the great kernels of insight, personal history, and even just maybe a little wisdom that I hoped to share through this blog, would I want to choose to share my feelings about straw wrappers!

Ok - here it is!  I might as well do it. It is only fitting that I begin in the following manner:

Hi, my name is Janet, and I am a straw wrapper control freak!

My problem started somewhere between child number one and four along with the countless friends of my children who rode in our cars through the years.  I love kids, and our cars were always full of them, but I hate trash and things left behind to junk up my car.  I mean really despise it. For years my children would hear the following refrain the minute we turned into our driveway- get your stuff together - pick up the trash - don't forget your backpacks, jackets, stuff, books - and so on and so on the nagging went.

It was a thankless task.  Regardless of the efforts, fossilized French fries, little toys, books, school papers, jackets, and a jillion straw wrappers littered the car.  One day after years of passing drinks to the back of a mini-van, urine colored LTD (my kids' description not mine), or a Suburban, I had an epiphany.  I may not be able to control all the junk in the car, but I could control one thing - straw wrappers!

From that moment on, no one in my car got a completely "clothed" straw.  I would get the straw, and rip the end of it off.  I would hold onto the end with the wrapper on it, and the child could grab their straw and slide it out of the wrapper.   Perfectly hygenic!  With just that small little action, I regained a little control in my life, and oh it felt so good!

Thus, began a practice that continues to this day.  If you ride in my car and we decide to stop at Sonic or Chick-Fila or Starbucks or wherever, you will be given your straw in this matter regardless of who you are or whatever your age is.  I have gotten a few strange looks, but frankly I don't care.  My car - my rules!

So what does this mean to you?  Think on this - If you feel that your personal world is off its axis and everything is beyond your control, do not fret.  There is one area you can control - straw wrappers.  It can make all the difference!  And when you get that little control back in your life, you can thank me with a trip to Sonic.  I will know and appreciate how you hand me my straw.

Love to all of you out there or no one - whichever fits. J