Fall has arrived, bringing with it the usual suspects: pumpkin spice and candy corn. While I know that most people are excited for the pumpkin spice flavors I have suddenly realized I am in the minority on the candy corn issue. I always knew that I was the odd man out on the pumpkin spice thing but candy corn? Really? I am genuinely shocked to find that so many people actually enjoy it. For years I couldn’t figure out who was buying and consuming this stuff. Yet here I am, all alone.
My weird tastes don’t stop at candy corn. I have strong and unpopular opinions about meatloaf, biscuits and gravy and chicken fried steak. Some people even question if I am really from Oklahoma! I do tend to get teased a little because of these quirks but I’m a good sport. My friends poke fun and we exchange texts and jokes but not real animosity. After all it’s just candy corn and comfort food.
This got me thinking…..why can’t all disagreements be as lighthearted and inconsequential as the great candy corn debate? It’s a crazy concept but imagine if we approached more serious disagreements-like politics and religion-with the same good natured spirit. We might find that it’s not so hard to maintain friendships and survive a family dinner. We could learn to appreciate unique differences that make life interesting instead of letting them drive a wedge between us.
The point is my dislike of pumpkin spice and candy corn don’t define my relationships. We can still be friends, even if we don’t see eye to eye on everything. Maybe the world would be a better place if we all took a step back, lightened up and treated all arguments like silly candy feuds. At the end of the day, our differences are what make things interesting.
