Sunday Scribblings: (Organic) Temptation

"Just try it," hissed the snake, coiling himself provocatively about her shoulders. "Oh, I know, it's from that tree, the one you're not supposed to touch. But what are you supposed to do? Go without anything fresh while these long days of late winter bleach into the beige blandness of early spring? It's not like those withered old things He still stores in his cellar possess anything like their fresh-picked flavor. About the best you could do with those is stud them with cloves and throw them in your closet to freshen your clothes. ... Clothes? Oh, darling, I'll explain those later. ... Anyway, have you looked at this apple? Have you ever seen anything so perfectly symmetrical, so free of bruise or blemish? Practically unnatural, you might think, and you'd be right. It takes some doing to make this kind of apple. Words you never hear around here: hybridization, pesticides, alar, fertilizers. Don't look so alarmed. Those trace residues of neurotoxins, endocrine disruptors, and carcinogens are really irrelevant compared to the benefits of adding more fresh fruit to your diet. You want to keep that luster in your hair? Your smooth skin? Your bright smile? Eat your fruits and vegetables, regardless of where they come from, that's my advice, and I'm not the only one who would tell you that. ... It troubles you, though, I can tell, the thought of these words that sound so dangerous invading the territory of the food you eat, the boundaries of your body, and I guess I can understand your concerns. There are alternatives: these apples, for example, from New Zealand, grown, if not in the same idyllic symbiotic relationship with other supportive organisms as the fruit He supplies, at least without the pesticides and additives that so alarmed you. In the interests of full-disclosure, though, I feel obliged to remind you that "organic" though they may be, they are an energy-intensive fruit to grow, requiring nearly 10 calories of petrochemical fuels for every single calorie of sweetness they yield, and although that may not seem too high a price to pay, there are those in the generations that will follow who will shake their heads and wonder at your lack of long-term judgment. Others will worry about the fragility of the monoculture promulgated by these large industrial orchards. But anyway, that's all beside the point. Can't you see the possibilities? Fresh apples in January mean fresh strawberries in March. Tomatos all year round. The end of this "to everything there is a season" nonsense. ... Of course it's all right. What else were you supposed to do with the minds and bodies you were given? Here's your chance to set your own course, make your own destiny. Just look at that apple. Try one bite. Tell me it's not sweet."

Sunday Scribblings