Sweets Grown Common – updated 2017

by | Jan 29, 2010 | Sweets - 2010, William Shakespeare | 0 comments

I remember reading or hearing stories about the ‘good ol’ days’ when kids would get a candy treat or an orange for Christmas and it was the biggest deal in the world. A sweet dessert was something that happened very rarely and was akin to a special present.

I certainly don’t think that is now the case for most of in the US or most other developed countries. I wonder if just in general we lack joy and excitement in large part because we don’t have to wait for things. We get what we want pretty quickly, whether it’s a TV or a candy bar. We might be excited about something of course, but that uniqueness that comes from something being uncommon isn’t there nearly as much as it used to be.

I also wonder if some of our feelings of entitlement come from that abundance as well. The stores are stocked with candy. I want candy. I am in the store. I deserve the candy I will buy the candy. Candy costs a buck maybe, no big deal. But project that same entitlement to a TV or a Car and man, your debt balloons pretty darn fast!

Practicing the art of delayed gratification is not easy in a world of abundance.

Drawing and commentary © Marty Coleman

“Sweets grown common lose their dear delight.” – William Shakespeare

Stressed is Desserts – updated 2017

by | Jan 28, 2010 | Marty Coleman, Sweets - 2010 | 1 comment

How many people do you know are stressed as they eat desserts? So, the key to peace, serenity and fulfillment is, by logical inference, eating desserts. Anyone care to argue with that?

Drawing and genius insight © Marty Coleman

Quote by lots of people, but I rewrote it my way so it’s by me now.

Life Is Uncertain – updated 2017

by | Jan 26, 2010 | Death - 2001-2011, Ernestine Ulmer, Sweets - 2010 | 0 comments

Day 2 of my series on Sweets.

A few pet peeve contradictory morbid confessions here:

#1. I always feel morbidly curious about the following phenomenon. Not the people on the airplane that crashes, but the poor guy in the car that was driving over the bridge that the airplane smashed into. Airline passengers accept a certain level of risk, even if they do everything they can to avoid thinking about it. But a person sitting at home watching ‘Wheel of Fortune’ does not expect an airplane to come crashing in the front room and kill him. I feel for that guy. What an unlucky break, right?

#2. The idea that we should actually treat each day as our last. That would be completely obnoxious if it happened every day. People crying, confessing, forgiving, wearing their ugliest outfits (or no outfits) etc. Nothing would ever get done! There would be a lot of dessert eaten though, of that I am sure. The contradictory part is that because I was once almost killed unexpectedly (blown up in a boat explosion) I actually make a point of saying things to people in the moment because I know that I might not get the chance to say it later. Mostly they are just simple compliments. But I don’t go crazy about it. I probably did more often when I drank, but my last drink was over 16 years ago so I don’t have that excuse anymore!

Back to the quote. Of course really following this admonition is silly, you aren’t going to die any happier if you ate a bite of cake last or a bite of mashed potatoes. But if you imagine this simple idea. One day it will be your last day. Likely it will be when you are old, maybe it will be in your sleep. But then again it could be by comet or by stray nuclear fission, who knows.

But here is a way to make sure you die happy, or as happy as you can die considering you would rather keep watching Wheel of Fortune. Instead of worrying about eating sweets before the end, just be sweet until the end.

Drawing and commentary © Marty Coleman

“Life is uncertain, eat dessert first.” – Ernestine Ulmer, 1925-not dead yet, American Writer

Be Strong AND Sweet

by | Feb 6, 2008 | Francois de La Rochefoucauld, Sweets - 2010 | 3 comments

napkin_10-08-03_sweet

I know a number of people whose overwhelming sweetness seemed pleasing at first. Over time I saw that sweetness as actually masking an inability to express what they were really feeling and who they really were. As a result I learned they weren’t safe to trust since I never could discern if what they were saying was what they were really thinking and feeling.

How does one become both strong and sweet?

© 2021 Marty Coleman | napkindad.com
“Only strong natures can really be sweet ones. Those that seem sweet are in general only weak, and may easily turn sour.”
La Rochefoucauld