My Mother always told me, “eat your peas!” Now, this might sound like a happy-go-lucky passing comment that she might have thrown out as she continued the daily routine of clearing the table after family dinner, but from my perspective, it was a sharp slap ringing in my head. I struggled to overcome this hurdle so I could be free from this culinary hell – the dreaded P E A. Me and my Mom danced a dance when it came to peas. I would negotiate a number that would be dolled out very precisely and each one would then be swallowed (NO CHEWING!) while dramatically pinching my nostrilsin in a gesture of defiance.
I know, this sounds really dramatic, but when you are young, everything is drama. As I got older, I had the opportunity to try fresh peas right from the garden, not the mushy canned peas of my youth. I LOVED fresh garden peas! Now, I don’t know if this was a result of canned versus fresh, or if it was because I had matured and expanded my palette, but as I look back, I realize that my fear of peas were based on childhood memories rather than a real experience. I wonder how many of my fears are irrationally based in my past experiences. What possibilities could happen if I faced my fears and I hurdled myself into the kind of life I have been searching for.
This is my new goal for 2015. I have been a bit scared of success and publicity. It has always been much easier to be the one in the background, behind the scenes. I am forcing myself into the spotlight and I am trying to get into the world of social media (another one of my fears). It turns out that I really like this new journey of mine, like fresh garden peas. I’ll let you all know how it is going from time to time.
Photo Copyright 2015 Gina Weathersby Photography