How I Became Crunchy Without Trying

crunch·y  [ krúnchee ]
1. crisp and crushable: crisp and making a crunching sound when eaten or walked upon 
(Bing Dictionary)

Well, that's not it!

2. Sometimes, crunchy granola. Informal. health-conscious and environmentally aware
(Dictionary.com)

There it is!

Last week, I asked my sister if we were crunchy. (That's crunchy 2., and not crunchy 1.) She said, yeah, sorta, but you're crunchier than I am. 

I am?

Yeah, but mainly because you have to be with all your food problems.

And she's right. Me, the kid who grew up on hot dogs and Velveeta cheese. I'm sorta crunchy now. I'm "health-conscious and environmentally aware." How did this happen to me?

We'll start with the food problems. Before it was cool, about eight years ago, I developed a gluten intolerance. Since then I have been a strict label-reader. I know what I'm eating, because if not, I get sick. Over the past few years, I have also developed either allergies or intolerances to corn, soy, and dairy. (Yes, I know, that totally stinks.) Therefore, I spend a lot of time at the health food store, trying to find food that doesn't have corn starch or soy lecithin or sodium caseinate added to it. And I cannot eat fast food. At all. So, through no desire of my own, I have become a healthy eater.

And then there's the "environmentally aware" part. I'm no tree-hugger, but I spent three years teaching environmental science in public schools, and I learned a lot about being a responsible Earth-dweller. In addition to that, I'm really cheap. I'm not sure if major corporations and their advertising firms realize this, but a big part of being "green" is NOT BUYING STUFF. And that is right up my alley. I don't have to have new things. I like buying used. I like buying quality goods that last forever. And I like fixing things that are broken so they can be used again. And when they are past repair, I like recycling or repurposing. I'm just weird that way.

If you look up "crunchy" online, you might find that it has a correlation with left-leaning political persuasions. I just want to make it clear that I am not that kind of crunchy. As long as the left is pro-abortion, pro-homosexual rights, pro-social programs, and pro-government control, I'm gonna be on the right, thank you. I would expound on that, but that's another topic for another day.

So there you are. Never thought I'd be crunchy, but maybe I am.