Sandy Supposes....

I'M AN OPTIMIST; WHAT "TASTE" IS THAT?

TASTE: Generally tastes are bitter, sweet, salty, or sour. Of these four, how would you say people most identify you?

         Hmmm, this is a tough one. Hasn't it been said that girls are sugar and spice and everything nice? Boys are supposed to be snakes and snails and puppy-dog tails. Okay, first of all, this is so ridiculous and blatantly sexist. I'm definitely not a frills and frou-frou type of girl; no pink finery for me. I'm also not a kick- boxer or a bronco-buster, either.

         I would describe myself as an upbeat, positive person looking for the silver lining in everything. All of my life experiences have happened for a reason, not always readily apparent. This being said, I can't possibly be a bitter or sour person; I don't blame others. Crotchety and grouchy are not me. I prefer to laugh; often at myself. I'm a clumsy klutz, a stooge of sorts. Several of my accidents defy description or logical explanations.

          My adult children refer to me as "special". They mention this with a sly smile and a sigh. I choose to accept this as a compliment; I'm one in a million; I'm unique.

          I have a picture of a pirate in my head when I think of salty. As a stereotype, a pirate is a rough sort of character who curses and swaggers. Salty language and a life sailing the salty sea. I once worked for a woman whom I'd depict as salty. She smoked like a chimney and she was never too shy to share her opinion about anything and everything. During the second world war, she worked as a military police woman and she commanded respect. Even as an elderly woman of seventy-six, she had a physical presence; tall with a ram-rod straight posture. Her voice was deep and gravelly; very rough when she cursed like a sailor. This is not me.

         I've met my share of angry, bitter, mad-at-the-whole-world people. They seem to only see the bad. Everything is terrible. They persist in a why bother attitude.

         I honestly don't envision myself as any of these tastes. I'm a real woman with likes and dislikes. I enjoy meeting people and speaking with them. I'm not perfect by any means; I just put one step in front of the other every day. My family is my greatest blessing. At the moment, I am in control of my faculties and I am in reasonable health. Okay, I'm an optimist; what "taste" is that?