With both of my parents working full time, I obviously provide for most of my brothers' needs in the day. Usually, I take the easy way out in helping them, because I have better things to do. Mr. Mario provides the entertainment, along with their own imaginations, lacrosse sticks, other friends, basically anyone or anything besides myself. Lunch generally consists of personal pizzas, cereal, fruit, or PB & J's. However, on one particular day, I found myself alone at lunchtime. Bring on the grilled cheese, with a nice helping of epiphany on the side.
As I stood over the concoction of deliciousness, I made sure that it would be perfect. I recalled how my older brother and his then girlfriend had taught me the art of making a grilled cheese sandwich. You can't be in a hurry when making a grilled cheese. If you are, the stove gets set to about 8, which is, obviously, a huge no-no. I remember the alarmed look on my big brother's face as I cranked the knob to the higher temperatures. "No! Madi, you can't do that! If you do that, then the cheese doesn't get all gooey and melted! Patience." I have now learned my lesson and cook my sandwiches at about 4, even though my big brother's now in Ecuador, unable to see the profound impact he had on me. He was so right; cheese is infinitely better when it strings at every bite than just slightly warmed. Life lesson number one relating to grilled cheese: take it slow. Life is short enough, there's no need to rush through it and miss everything. It is so much better when you stop to smell the roses and let the cheese get stringy.
The grilled cheese slid out of the pan and onto my paper plate, and I realized how ugly it looked. The bread had become slightly singed and had taken on an almost black hue. To the touch it was hard and crispy. The knife plunged into the hard abyss, and encountered that good ol' creamy cheese. My teeth followed suit, and it was my taste buds that realized the inside was much more attractive than the out. There are two ways this can be applied. Firstly, to people. Take my dad for example. He seems like a serious, strictly rule-abiding guy at first glance. You could not be more wrong. Once you spend 5 minutes with him, you realize what a huge goof ball he is. When I need some leeway on an issue, my dad is the first one I go to. He understands what is going on and bends the rules more often than not. Another application is situations in life. Sometimes things on your to-do list look boring, hard, or scary. However, when you put your whole self into it, you'll usually find that there are good aspects. So go ahead, plunge in. Find that cheese.
As everyone knows, a grilled cheese sandwich does not meet its full potential without being drenched in tomato soup. The two flavors are so different, yet blend so amazingly. As you may have guessed, this applies to life. Every person has their perfect companion, even if they may seem completely different at first glance. Crunchy and smooth, buttery and tomato. It all fits if you give it the chance to work out. Just like cheese on cinnamon rolls.
You can learn a lot from your food, try it sometime. Analyze that taco or chicken noodle soup. And think of these life lessons you have learned next time you eat a grilled cheese.
