A co-worker today asked my advice on the edibility of his frozen burrito at lunch. The cellophane had separated inside the box and he wondered if that meant he shouldn't eat it. I told him I thought it would be just fine, since the box hadn't been tampered with and the food was frozen and likely to be free of germs. But then I had to admit to him that I have a pretty high tolerance for contamination.
I spent a year eating popcorn and candy left under the seats by moviegoers. We all did, actually. Me, my brother and my three sisters. The little ones were only 4, 6 and 8. But I was 12 and should have known better. Mom signed us up to clean the theaters across from our house early each morning before school. She thought it would teach us the value of hard work and earning your own money. Mostly she worked hard and we ate stuff off the floors. The paycheck at the end of the month was just icing on the all-you-can-eat candy and popcorn buffet.
As a 12 year old, at least I knew enough to only eat stuff in candy boxes that looked like they'd been opened by people with clean hands. I imagined fashionably dressed women daintily taking one DOT from the box at a time and wiping her fingers before taking another. She left most of the box untouched so she wouldn't look like a pig in front of her boyfriend. And my coming along to eat the rest of the box wasn't much different than her passing it to share with me during the movie. I just at my share a few hours after the movie ended.
My little sisters, on the other hand, probably did eat the stuff right off the ground. I'm sure it tasted just as good and they didn't have to bother with all of my rationalizing.
To my knowledge none of us got sick. So obviously a little separated cellophane on a frozen burrito doesn't phase me.
Somehow I doubt my coworker will seek me out anymore when it comes to food safety matters. Though, I did mention that he might consider saying an extra prayer on the burrito if he was nervous.
I believe this officially makes me the crazy new Mormon girl who grew up as an urchin out West.
1 comment:
who knew you had such rationalizing ability!
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