I ate a lemon today for the first time in probably a year. I sliced it thin, seeded it, and then put salt and pepper on it – yes, salt and pepper, it’s something I’ve only seen my family do, everyone else thinks it’s weird. Come to think of it, many people think just eating a lemon is weird…well, maybe we’re weird. However, let me tell you, eating a store-bought lemon, when the last one you had was a thick skinned, grapefruit sized Sorrento, given to you by the shop-keeper at the tiny fruit stand on the Island of Ischia in Italy, a lemon you devoured while standing on a seawall overlooking the Castello Arrogonesse on a bright, sunny, cool Mediterranean morning…it’s a bit of a letdown. Even if you are enjoying a Buffy marathon with the wife.
I never thought I’d fall in love with Italy. Even so, my mind keeps going back to that day on Ischia…but that is another story.
The truly sad part… my teeth hurt from the citric acid…really hurt…probably going to keep me awake hurt…and that really makes me sad. My family has a tradition of eating lemons, we start…well, exceedingly young. Probably too young. In some cases, a slice of lemon is the first solid food a baby in my family will have. I think it’s some kind of test to ensure the spawn is actually of the Rainer line, though not having kids; I’m not privy to those secrets.
Sadly, I think my lemon eating days are over, or nearly over given the amount of pain I’m in right now, and that makes me doubly sad. Now to go find some aspirin.
strollingthroughmymind 