I have recently discovered that life is a lot like a box of chocolate chip cookies.
Of course, cookies rarely come in tin boxes any more; they can more often be found in those plastic packages that just don't seem to last. As with so many other products, the traditional craftsmanship that used to go into cookie boxes has been replaced by the less attractive, albeit more cost-effective, kind.
(The only cookies that still come in tin boxes are from Sweden, and, as one might expect, they are more expensive than domestic cookies. The grass is always greener on the other side of the ocean, isn't it?)
The cookies themselves don't appear to have changed much. Oh, there may be more chemicals in the cookies than there used to be, more preservatives, additives, artificial flavours and chemicals the purpose of which ordinary people cannot identify. But, there are more chemicals in our bodies than there used to be, so this trend in cookies seems almost natural.
As always, some cookies have a lot of chocolate chips while others don't have quite so many. This is definitely in keeping with a world where opportunity and advantage are not evenly distributed. And, the fundamental structure of the situation does not change if there are 33 per cent more chips per box.
Cookie connoisseurs appreciate whatever they get.
How wonderful a new box at first appears, how full of promise! Do you stick your hand in, eating whatever you manage to pluck out? Or, are you more careful, scrutinizing each cookie to ensure that the one you get is the precise one you want? A great choice of cookies, like life options, abounds.
But, no matter how careful we are in our selection, can we ever have complete control over the cookies we eat? Would we really want such control? After all, cookies are more interesting to eat when there is an element of risk involved, aren't they?
Of course, eating the whole box at once is not usually a good idea (look at what it did to Keith Moon or John Belushi). So, when we've had enough chocolate chip cookies, we must rest a while, we must take a break. Twist ties help keep the cookies fresh, in much the same way that new ideas can keep us fresh throughout our youth.
Yet, the more we keep coming back to the cookie box, the more time passes, the fewer options we seem to leave ourselves. As the number of cookies decreases (as our choices are made), the number of cookies for us to subsequently choose from decreases. At first, we probably won't even notice; but, as our allotment of cookies steadily goes down, we become more aware of their passing.
By the time the box is half empty, we might start noticing changes in it. The twist tie at the top, no matter how carefully tended, always seems less and less able to do its job. The box itself, so fragile, so delicate, might be showing signs of wear, some scratches, perhaps even a small rip.
At this point, a reassessment of cookies might be in order. There are many different kinds of desserts and snacks; why did you choose chocolate chip cookies? Would you have been happier with an apple pie or some ice cream? You might even consider a more exotic dish, maybe chocolate mousse or crepes Suzette.
But, of course, changing your treat at this point is difficult. Not impossible, but difficult.
Suddenly, you are looking over your shoulder at the people with full boxes of cookies and biscuits. The competition has gotten hot, and you no longer feel secure with your old standby, the chocolate chip cookie. Perhaps...
Soon, that fleeting thing known as the box of chocolate chip cookies is all but gone. You may feel regrets, but you shouldn't; it is, after all, the natural order of things for one generation of cookies to be replaced by the next. You should feel that you have had a place in the procession of cookie experience.
So, the next time you're in your local grocery store looking for a snack to feed your children, remember: chocolate chip cookies aren't just a dessert. They are life itself.
