Life's Biggest Little Pleasure
In the end, maybe it's life's little pleasures that matter the most. For some, it might be getting up extra early to witness a glorious sunrise or listening to a cherished old vinyl record with all the pops and crackles. For others, it's taking advantage of the opportunity to sleep in on the weekend or realizing the check they're writing is their final car payment. Ya know, until the vehicle turns into a blood-sucking money pit forcing them back to that evil car dealership, the one that said they were their friend but clearly they weren't! Sorry, my bad... So, as I was saying, it's the small things in life that really matter, like discovering your favorite author has just penned a new novel or grabbing a long hot shower with tons of water pressure after a particularly grueling day. Or maybe... garlic.
Granted, these particular scenarios can't possibly measure up to the really big moments in life, as in the day you married your childhood sweetheart or had your first kid or landed that job you'd been coveting for, like, forever. Or that time you got stuck in an elevator for two solid hours with a half dozen Calvin Klein underwear models fresh off their photo shoot (could happen). Although, of course, those kinds of major highlights tend to be one-offs; that's what makes them so unique (the elevator scenario in particular). But the beauty of the smaller joys experienced is that they're able to reoccur throughout our existence, weaving their way into our lives like some welcoming oasis. Like sunshine on a cloudy day. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes. Like... garlic.
Have I mentioned garlic? Yeah, it's kinda been dominating my mind lately to the point where I might have to put it at the top of my "Life's Little Pleasures" list. I mean, just the smell of it being sauteed in butter... are you kidding me? Couple that with its ability to blend with virtually any world cuisine, forcing your taste buds to do handstands each and every time, and we're talkin' the ultimate super veggie. Nirvanna incarnate. It's what the Garden of Eden incident should've been all about, as in "Adam, what's that you're cooking?" "Oh, this? No big deal, God. Just somethin' Eve came up with. Yeah, it was all her idea."
And if that's not enough, the coup de grace?... the price, it never seems to go up. For as long as I can remember, at every market around, it's been two bulbs for a buck. I mean, we're talkin' years here. In a time where cash-strapped households get behind on a car payment in order to put a holiday meal on the table or are forced to take out that second mortgage for a dozen eggs, this vegetable marvel is two bulbs for a dollar. You know what else you can get for a dollar?... nothing! That's right, it'll cost you more than that for a pack of gum at a variety store or a Coke out of a vending machine. Think you can go to the Dollar Tree and make it happen?... think again. Query someone with "A penny for your thoughts" and find out the hard way it'll now cost you a five-spot.
And let's not forget the availability factor. The stuff is everywhere and you can find it any way you want it: peeled, diced, minced, chopped or whole in seemingly infinite quantities. So why wouldn't garlic be a crowd favorite? Hell, it fits all the criteria of a little pleasure: it brings us joy, can be found in abundance and doesn't break the bank. Kind of like those "Stupid Robbery Fails" caught on video that we see on the news, only without the Miranda rights and handcuffs.
Oh, and for all of you "glass half empty" folks who ask "What about the downside: garlic breath?" Okay, I admit, just like Superman, this pungent vegetable does have its own kryptonite in the form of halitosis, causing many to eschew it during their lunch hour for fear of it being detected later by work associates or, worse, by a secret lover during a make out session in the company broom closet. Small price to pay, I say. And, besides, I'd forgo the afternoon office tryst in favor of garlic shrimp every time. I mean, lovers come and go but garlic?... yeah, that's for life.
Huh, whaddya' know, I guess it's for real, garlic is at the top of my "Life's Little Pleasures" list after all. So, take it from me, the next time you're feelin' down and need a lift, go on out to your local produce section for a couple bulbs. How can you go wrong? I mean, we're talkin' a buck here.