Change of tastes

Growing up, the only way I'd eat tomatoes is with ketchup and fries. I detested broccoli, spinach, and especially, asparagus. Fast forward to today, tomatoes and those abhorred vegetables have become a few of my favorite foods.

Another example of how my taste buds have changed is beer. I wondered what the great mystery of beer was because everyone from my father to Homer Simpson fully enjoyed this beverage. They seemed to like beer even more than I loved apple juice. They're the same color, they're both in the refrigerator, and they're both served in a glass. "I must try it. I bet it tastes better than apple juice, since my daddy likes it" I thought. One day, my dad let me take a sip. Yuck. Dreadfully disgusting. 

That horrible taste took me to age 23, without ever having a desire to take another sip of beer. One happy-hour, I went out with my friends, tried a Blue Moon with orange slices, and beer became my friend. Lately, I have found myself saying, "Ahhhh. A beer sounds so refreshing right now." When did that happen, how, and why?

On Thursday night, I needed time to decompress and catch up with a girlfriend. She suggested we go to Sparadise, a new spa in Los Angeles, to get Thai massages. A massage? YES! How did she know I had a million knots in my back? A massage and girl-talk is just what the doctor ordered. 

We updated each other on the latest and the greatest, and we found a new common denominator: an appreciation for reading. She said she has found herself enjoying the things she used to hate such as reading and running. During the last few months, instead of going partying after work, often, she stays home and reads. On Saturday mornings, she enjoys jogging along Santa Monica's boardwalk, then eating fresh seafood nearby.

I find myself enjoying many things I used to loathe, as well. Although I doubt I'll ever like the smell of asparagus-parfumed pee, I willingly eat asparagus sans holding my breath. I haven't found an appreciation for jogging yet, but I have been thinking about signing up for a charitable 5K to motivate me to start a jogging regimen. 

There's a song I love that sums up how I feel by Lina called "Change." Listening to this song always lifts my spirits:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHDHyPVLRuY&feature=related

I hope you like her song as much as I do. 

Many of my changes stemmed from a desire to grow. I told myself last year that I needed to incorporate more vegetables into my life for better health. It took several variations of dishes to find vegetables I liked and methods of preparing them to suit my taste buds. 

I'm a constant work in progress. I want to become a better person, and yes, every day, in every way, I keep getting better and better. Like Lina attests, "Change is a good thing."