Eating My Words... Tastes Like Fish

Tell the truth, tell the truth, tell the truth.
_Sheryl Louise Moller

As of late, I have been looking for ways to increase my brain power. There are so many seemingly insurmountable problems everywhere- at work, on the mainland, abroad. We could all use a little brain power right now, is my thinking. Creativity: solving problems in new ways. Problems are opportunities. I love thinking. Virginia Wolf once said, "One cannot sleep well, think well, live well, if one has not dined well." But what does that entail?

 

I have many happy memories of living on a boat in the summer on Lake Powell every year with my family. It was, looking back, rather idyllic. We turned brown, like the Indians that used to live in the cliffs of the lake. We got thick soles on our feet from climbing on the sandstone. We learned to jet ski, wake board, fish, and of course, the fine art of tanning. We listened to the best music: U2, the Cars, the Eagles. Okay, so I hate the Eagles. But somehow, under the stars at night sleeping on top of the boat, they don't sound so bad. 

And every day, we found some time to hole up in the basement and watch movies. My cousin, Mindy, and I were stuck like glue together. We actually did apply our hands together with super glue at one time, but that is another story. One of our favorite movies was The Burbs. One summer, we watched it like every day. We thought it was the funniest movie ever. Especially when the weird guy who lives next to Tom Hank's character offers them a plate and goes, "Sardines?" 

I don't know why we thought this was so funny. But we would just roll around the basement of the house boat, laughing every time. 

So this morning, I was doing some research on brain food, and connecting that research with what I have in the pantry. You guessed it. Sardines. I never, ever have eaten sardines. The only reason I even have sardines in my pantry is because I saw a fox in my backyard, and my mom wanted to make it our pet. So she brought over sardines to feed it. 

So anyways, staring at the sardines (I put them on some crackers to make them more palatable), I wondered if I could bring myself to eat them. I thought of all the times I made fun of that weird guy offering his neighbors sardines, and how even though he was really weird, it still wasn't very nice of me. So, then, this was my comeuppance. (An English term, I believe, for karma.) But I was determined to do it. Because I had to know if it really increases brain power. And my body is my laboratory. I mean, there is no way to really know unless you try. 

I ate the sardines. Not very many of them, it is true, but a few cracker's worth. I chased it down with some juice and a Black Raspberry Godiva truffle. (This coincides with my theory of: every nice deserves a naughty. Nothing too naughty. I mean, I've heard of worse things than truffles.) Which reminds me of another movie I like. 

"You and your truffles... present a far lesser challenge." Ah. Someone who underestimated a woman and her chocolate. Big mistake. (Note how I could have used an image of chocolate here, but instead chose Johnny Depp. Not a mistake.)

So, you probably want to know how my brain power is doing. I have to say, it's feeling pretty good. I mean, my niece Lauren wants me to dance in her talent show with her, and I am actually excited about it. Huh. It's gotta be the sardines. 

"Lock up your libraries if you like, but there is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind."

— Virginia Woolf