“mmmm….” (crunch) “ow!”

There are some phrases guaranteed to strike fear into the human heart.  “The tax inspector will see you now” is one, as are “should it really be that colour?” and “We need to talk”. And also there’s the one that I’ve been forced to say this week; “It’s no good, I’ll have to go to the dentist”.

Kit Kat Chunky has to be the best chocolate bar in the world. It does exactly what it says on the label – it’s a Kit Kat but it’s chunky. Fantastic. They’re especially tasty straight from the fridge. Unfortunately that makes them a little more like yummy concrete than normal, so my usual “mmmm” of pleasure became “mmmm….” (crunch) “ow!”  The chocolaty deliciousness melted away, leaving jagged pain behind as I found the remnants of my broken tooth.

I’ve since had it fixed but the dentist made it quite clear that my days of biting through hard things are over. I’m to be careful what I nibble on for the rest of my life. Chomping through a hard pear (or indeed a cool Kit Kat) is a pleasure that is now in my past.

I’d heard it said of old people many times – “A nightly tot of whiskey is one of his few remaining pleasures” – but this was the first time that I can remember one of my own personal pleasures being placed firmly in my past. I have never before noticed something that I like becoming something from my past. It has happened though, obviously. Things slip in and out of your pleasure zone as age and fashion dictate. For example, I no longer actively seek out the pleasures of sucking my thumb, skateboarding or lusting after Susan Stranks from ‘Magpie’. Well, she is seventy-three now.

I guess the moral of this story is, if you like doing something then do it now. Don’t wait until tomorrow because you never know what tomorrow may bring.

For me, it brings the small change of cutting up my Chunky Kit Kats from now on. I’m nothing if not adaptable.

© Shaun Finnie 2012  –  follow Shaun on Twitter  @ShaunFinnie