Grace #4 Gum

Can you really be grateful for gum? Well, I am. I am really trying very, very hard to not eat sugar when ever fiber of my being is screaming for a Tastykake. I am succeeding, but only because of gum. Trident original is my gum of choice. I can't fathom how gum ever came into being because it was first marketed in 1848 which, to my not-always-historically-accurate-memory, is during a time when people still had to work pretty hard just to eat, let alone to chew something that wasn't intended to be swallowed. (Yes, that's right I googled when gum was invented, I actually am that dedicated to bringing quality education to this blog!) If not for gum, I would have caved to the sugar cravings long ago. I would never have the confidence to talk to someone up close after just having eaten. I would not have been able to entertain my toddler daughter on long car trips by blowing bubbles. There would be nothing for the tooth fairy to leave under the pillow. No cool urban legends about how long gum takes to digest would ever have been created. Checkout lanes at most stores would have 2-3 empty shelves. My pockets would be empty thus leaving me without the wonderful washed-and-then-dried papers to find in my lint drawer. There would be nothing left in the world that still costs a penny.

Gum, it's what's for dinner..or..after dinner.