The Last Melon

There's an idiosyncracy closely associated with my family and any food item, especially those foods which have particularly appetizing tastes, ie. cookies, ice cream, chocolate chips, popsicles... It seems to run among foods with high sugar content, although that's not a limit. Often, there are certain restrictions on such gratifying foods. "No cookies until after dinner!" "No popsicle until your homework is done." Rightfully so. Many times when I'm feeling in a mood for a cookie, I'll go to the counter or cupboard, pull out the package... and find one left. Just one! Often the whole package will all but disappear with in days or even hours, but there is always one left! With other foods... one small spoonful of ice cream, a small handful of potato chips, five M&M's, a few chocolate chips remaining in a superfluous bag made to hold 5 pounds... Why?

Here's the average scenario.

One day, a package of cookies appears on the counter. As six kids filter through the kitchen we catch sight of it and eye it wishfully but forego because it hasn't been opened yet. "Maybe it's not for us..." Either way, it is left untouched. A certain amount of time passes, and one of two things happens. One of us gets the courage to do the unthinkable and "open the bag", or my mom offers them to us. With a family of hungry people, the quantity dwindles quickly, often without the watchful eyes of my mother. Questions like, "Where did the cookies go? I just opened the package, and said you could only have one." Eight people, 31 cookies gone, three ardently claiming they only had two, the rest not responding, one left... somehow this doesn't add up.

Occasionally, when there's a small quantity left, I'll walk past as well. "I've already had my share, without anyone knowing." Or something like that. There must be some stereotype to taking the last one or some guilt for overindulging when the container is full now that the empty plastic stares back. I often wonder how many times my siblings do the same thing, just walk past. It's got to be quite a few, because I'm home far less than they are.

Another interesting side to the equation is the duo of infamous choc-o-holics, namely my dad and my sister. Known for immediately dispatching any chocolate in sight regardless of ownership, they are frequently the bold and brave 'package openers,' and often share the brunt of the responsibility for quickly finishing off whatever was opened. How else do you explain my mom's question of, "Where did my 5-pound bag of Tootsie rolls go?" It wasn't me! When the two eventually fessed up to eating "just a handful" (sarcastic pause) there had been about 5 pieces left for two weeks or more.

I have no clue if anyone will be able to relate to this, but it's an oddity worth analyzing. I think that this situation comes from rationalization. We've all been taught about the food pyramid and know that some foods (especially those with a high sugar content) are unhealthy in excess. Other reasons to avoid them occur when other restrictions have been placed on a household level. No one wants to open the package, because that would be breaking the rule, and everyone can see. You can't close the package again, especially when it is obvious that something would be missing when you are through. But if someone else does the deed, then the food suddenly becomes open game! No one will miss one cookie... or melon (for purposes of tying a catchy title with this post), or piece of cake, because there's still some left! And no one will know where it went. As soon as it's almost gone, there's a stark realization of the nearly empty package staring back. You ate all that? Whoa... better stop. And no one wants to finish it off! That could be due to guilt, or just laziness. Then I have to throw it away... Who knows? As soon as the package is gone there will be undeniable evidence just like when it was opened. As long as there's one left, no one will ever know. But hey, it makes things great for me. I'll know I'll always get at least one of whatever is opened!