30 Days of Thanks - Happy Birthday, Poptarts!

30 Days of Thanks
would not be complete with more gratitude for the random things that abound in our world.


While getting into my MSN email account yesterday, I saw that it this year marks the 45 birthday of PopTarts.  Well, I say HAPPY BIRTHDAY, POPTARTS!!!

Poptarts were a staple for me growing up, and they still are on my shopping list nearly every couple of weeks.  ( I know some of you may feel the need to call Child Protection Services, citing child abuse! )  My Boys love strawberry poptarts and chocolate poptarts.  I like the occasional blueberry poptart as well.   On my way to school or seminary I would toss the  poptart, secure in it's thermal, silver, space age wrapping, on the dashboard of the car, and turn up the defrost.  By the time I arrived at my destination, I had a wonderful, hot breakfast! You can't do that with an egg!!

Poptarts are an amazing, balanced meal.  Especially the fruit ones. I think we are supposed to eat several servings of fruit daily.  This is a great way to get one of those servings.  And Chocolate poptarts!!! Is that the most amazing invention ever?  It's a breakfast food.  It can be dessert.  It can just be, " I need some freakin' chocolate... and I need it NOW!"   45 years of a food surviving the scrutiny of critics?  Sounds like Poptarts are a classic to me.  

Several years ago while reading humor columnist Dave Barry he shared his story "Tarts Afire!" 
 http://www.davebarry.com/natterings_files/poptarts.htm 
 I love Dave Barry,  and, being me I had to give the project a whirl myself.  Yup, I tried to set poptarts on fire in  the toaster.  (Don't try this at home....really.... I am not responsible if you catch yourself on fire, your house on fire, your friend on fire.  You may not sue me.)   Either they have made toasters more fire resistant, or the frosting on the poptart is less flammable, but I had to "modify" the poptart to get it to catch on fire.  But I had a dang good time doing it!  Luckily, I was surrounded by friends, (The Woodburys) who were able to offer suggestions on how to "modify" the poptart to catch it on fire.   Although I don't have a degree in it, I do consider myself a "poptartoligist."

Those of you who know me well, know I like to take weird, little things that happen in our lives and put a twist on them.  I believe all of us, at one time or another, have our poptarts on fire.  Stuff goes on in our lives that make us feel like we are stuck in the toaster and ready to explode.   That's where it takes amazing friends and family and random people to make a difference.   Look around and see if someone you love has their "poptarts" on fire.  Do you smell smoke?  Do you see smoke?  Maybe you even see flames in their life.   I challenge you to react when you see "Tarts ablazin" to make a difference.  Can you  be the one who unplugs the toaster, who grabs the baking powder, or who grabs the fire extinguisher?  Most often, it doesn't take something big to help someone whose poptarts are on fire.  Most often, it can be a smile, a hug, a kind word, or taking a few minutes to really listen.

Yesterday in my office, my poptarts were on fire. In fact, I think I had several toasters full of poptarts, some smoking, and some with five foot flames coming out of the toaster.    A friend walked into my office, and, although she might have wished she didn't stop to talk to me and have to listen to all my verbal diarrhea, she did.  Without knowing it, she pulled out her fire extinguisher and put the fire out.  Michelle.  Thank you.

So, random friends!  Have a poptart!  (and if you really want to celebrate poptarts 45 birthday, maybe have a glass of TANG with it!)   But more importantly, learn the lesson of the "parable of the poptart" and be there to help those whose poptarts are on fire.  Sometimes all you need to do is just turn the setting down a bit.  Keeping people safe and their poptarts from burning is something we can all do, one random woman at a time.