Candy

Everybody loves candy. I would say even folks who do not partake of it - and they are to be admired - like it. According to the Washington Post, over the past ten years, sales in the candy industry in the United States escalated from $25.8 billion in 2003 to nearly $34 billion in 2013. Such a figure suggests that along with the American flag, perhaps the symbol of our nation should be a sweet tooth. We seem to spend as much time "saluting" candy of all kind than we do the stars and stripes. In fact, it is surprising no one has come up with a candy bar that is red, white and blue in color. That way we could indulge our craving for sweet as well as give a nod to being patriotic all in one bite.


In any discussion of candy, one would be remiss without mentioning Halloween. Sure, people of all ages may dress up like ghosts and goblins, but those guises are really a creative way to gain access and/or pay homage to candy. This year, it is estimated that Americans will purchase $2.5 billion in candy as part of this special trick-or-treat day. That is an unbelievable statistic. It shows that people want what they want regardless of whatever fall-out or negative consequences, including obesity, bad teeth or ill-health, that may eventually result. It seems as if the candy consumers of our nation rarely see beyond the pleasure they derive from consuming any of the many tasty treats currently on the market.


Such an indulgence as candy is not all that different from poor communication habits. People tend to communicate they way they do with little regard for any blowback that may result. For example, a common trait among some is that people do not always listen to each other as well as they should. Then there are those who talk over others. And finally we have some who already have their minds made up about a particular issue or topic, so ignore any thing said about it. Much like eating candy, these represent a negative habit that does harm to those who practice them as well those with whom they interact. We need to take a hard look at our negative habits, including the ones involving candy, and begin turning these lemons into sugar-free lemonade.