Stop! He Said To the Pea Juice As It Flowed Into the Mashed Potatoes

You probably didn't know this, but I grew up in a family where we all mixed our cereals, and so I thought cereal mixing was a universal practice. Not until Wayne and I were married did I learn the truth: it is not universal. Apparently it was a Brimley thing. It was not a Wayne Gordon Schiess thing. He did not mix cereals. Surprised I was, but I knew I could adjust. After all, such practices are a matter of choice. I did think he was missing out on something pretty okay. He did not think so, and the vehemence with which he declined to mix is what really stunned me. He was adamant, would not even entertain the thought of it.

He was equally adamant against sharing food, as in trading bites. That seemed to be more fundamental to me. I mean, if you love a person you might like to share. Not so with him. I tried to take his attitude not personally, and eventually I did. It was, for me, a matter of understanding and acceptance of him. My sister Lucile recalls that Wayne didn't like his foods to touch on his dinner plate. I'm not sure what prompted his attitude or his strictness in it. That's just the way he was, a phrase I became well acquainted with in the many years I knew him.

It's true. We are not all alike, and they say that's a good thing. Families have their customs and quirks, and those get passed along. In the Brimley family we liked to invite people over to share a meal. I wanted to invite people over for Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas. He did not want to, so we didn't. About the cereal, some of my kids mix, some don't. I think they're food/bite sharers. Not actually positive there.

This post is prompted by Ann's Cereal regulations. Carol's Corner will have more to say on the subject of cereal.