Today, I reached 50 published posts and as a little treat to celebrate this mile stone - I thought I would tell a little story.
For those of you who have been with me from the beginning, you will remember that in my first post I told you all five random facts about myself. One of these facts was that I don't eat fruit. I thought it would be fun and hopefully humorous to tell the story of why.... or as much of the story I can.
So, I want you to imagine a girl of about 3. It's summer, it's sunny and her parents have taken her fruit picking at a local 'pick-your-own' farm. The girl is me.... and I am LOVING it! There was more fruit going straight into my mouth than there was going into my fruit punnet. It was the same with blackberry picking, I just used to pick them off the plant and eat them. Mum would want to take them home to make crumble or jam but I was much more content just munching away out in the woods like a little blonde haired bear.
There wasn't a fruit I wouldn't eat at this age. I just devoured it - grapes, strawberries, apple.... you all know what fruits are.... so you get the idea. I loved the stuff! I, as 22 year old, have no actual memory of this. I've seen all the pictures of me, with an empty pot and a face covered in purple stains from the blackberries but I don't actually remember.
I don't remember when I first started to dislike fruit either (I'm told I was around 7 or 8) - I just know that at some point I started to refuse, point blank, to put it anywhere near my mouth. One of my most vivid memories regarding fruit and my refusal to eat it involves a kiwi, some yoghurt and a full blown panic attack.
It was a lovely summers afternoon and the whole family were having tea outside in the garden. Mum really wanted me to just try some fruit and immediately I was feeling grumpy and cross about the whole situation. She said that she would cut it up really small and hide it in some yoghurt. Apparently I would 'hardly notice' there was any fruit in it at all. SHE LIED! I remember putting up as much fuss as possible to avoid eating any of it but eventually I did try.
One mouthful and I totally broke down - I have no idea what I was so wound up about or what it was that tipped me over the edge but I went into pull blown strop and refused to eat anything else for the rest of the evening. It was that evening that I developed a problem with yoghurt that has bits in too! I still can't eat that either.
To this day I don't know what turned me from a fruit fiend to absolutely hating it but even now, the thought of eating any sort of fruit makes me feel nauseous. I've had minor panic attacks just peeling oranges for kids at school. I can sometimes manage an apple, but only very rarely and the occasional strawberry. Too many grapes and I start to think I'm going to be sick, the same with banana..... I get about 3 mouthfuls in and suddenly feel like I'm going to be sick.
However, fruit in cakes rock! Blueberry muffins? HELLO!! Banana bread? Yes, please! Raspberry and White Chocolate chip cookies? I'll have a stack..... even crumble, I can manage (with custard and more crumble topping than fruit filling, of course) but actual raw, fresh from the plant, no cooking required fruit.... nah-ah, no thankyou... I'll pass!
Like I say, I have no idea what triggered this, I have no idea why it still affects me 14 years later but yes.... I don't eat fruit because when I do, I genuinely believe that I am going to throw up or freak out.... It doesn't bother me but it is a little quirk that people who discover find very difficult to get over. The response 'How can you not eat fruit?' is one that I have heard many times.
Maybe one day I'll go back to my fruit guzzling ways but right now, I have no desire to go anywhere near the stuff!
