What makes us want what we want…what blend of genetics and environment makes some people love to play or watch sports and others subscribe to the opera, while others don’t understand the allure of either? There’s wanting…then there’s craving, defined by thefreedictionary.com as “A consuming desire, a yearning.”
Look how far many people go to get tickets to the World Series or Hamilton…. How much they’re willing to pay beyond the norm. I’d call that craving. Because, for the Cubs, it’s probably once in a lifetime? Because Hamilton is a truly great show supported by extensive hype (it seems every day a Facebook friend posts the now-requisite Hamilton selfie)?
I crave something not once in a lifetime, not on occasion, but almost every hour of every day. It’s legal, affordable, and almost everywhere I go: sweets. The craving is strong, demanding, making me fight it many times a day. Such as, but not limited to, whenever I:
- pass donut shops near me. Their neon signs shout, “Yummy!” (One nemesis is Stan’s pretzel-shaped donut )
- see candy in any checkout line or store, especially if it’s on sale
- am near a brownie, especially if combined with ice cream and bittersweet hot fudge
- eat ice cream or candy that I’ve bought. How do I stop at one serving (defined as a half-cup for most ice creams, a mere dollop)?
