Bacon

Life is a lot like bacon. Now everyone that knows me, knows how much I love bacon. And I'm sure some are rolling their eyes at that statement but it is true. Life is a LOT like bacon. There are two kinds of bacon, no wait, make that three kinds. There is awesome bacon, decent bacon and crappy bacon. Think about that a minute. There are people shaking their heads and saying "No, all bacon is awesome bacon" but not really. 

There is Black Label bacon, which to me is the best of the best. Followed by Oscar Mayer center cut. These are the best quality, meatiest, most flavorful types of bacon there is. But.... they are also the most costly. I'm talking over $8 a pound bacon which means Beckie only gets it when its on sale, and I mean a really good sale. 

Then you have your Farmland bacon, which is my favorite, mostly because my son works in the Farmland foods warehouse. Farmland bacon is good, comes in several varieties, some are thick cut, some are thin cut, there is double smoked, lower sodium, and even lower fat (which means they just cut the fattier edges off). But there is a lot of variety to choose from, its a little more expensive but they put it on sale A LOT, at buy one get one free..... my favorite sale! 

Then you have your cheap bacon. Best choice, Best Buy, Ole Carolina, etc. And I am sure those are passable for bacon. But your fat to meat ratio is going to be a bigger concern. And some of the smoking preferences are not the greatest. 

So how is this like life? Well. Life is what we make it to be. We can choose a life like Black Label, that is super expensive, where we spend all of our time chasing a dollar, trying to live like the Jones'. We can be unsatisfied, because we can't afford those expensive vacations, cars, clothes and houses that others have. We can brag that we are having Black Label bacon for breakfast, not letting others know we are then eating ramen noodles for supper because we have shopped above our means.

 Or we can eat cheap bacon. Its decent and cheap, and I guess its filling, but is it really satisfying? Do we live our lives just day to day, not looking for the beauty in life? Do we spend the time with our kids and family that we should? Do we take the time to smell the flowers, take walks, share baked goods with the neighbors? Life is not satisfying if we aren't living it to the fullest. I'm not talking financially, as it's a matter of some have more than others, but we can take what we have and live a full life with it. 

I prefer a life of average bacon. Farmland. There is a lot of variety, its on sale a lot and its delicious! I have an average life. I work. I spend time with my family, though not enough. I spend time with my church family, and my friends. I spend time outside in the garden. I bake and share with friends and family. I try to help people when I can. I am kind of a bacon hoarder at times. (Well, most of the time) and in life I am somewhat of an introvert. I am very generous, but I tend to hold back a lot. I hide a lot of what I am feeling and going through. Even from the people who think they know all about me. 

Up until couple of years ago I rarely bought or ate bacon. True story! When I cooked it, I ate maybe a piece or two. I told myself I really didn't like it, because I had someone telling me all the time how bad it was. That is how I lived life as well. I told myself I didn't need to do this or that, didn't need friends, or to go places and do things. I lived a very shallow, sad and lonely life. I think the first weekend after my life changed I went and bought a package of bacon, the good stuff, and cooked and ate the entire package by myself. This was my way of saying, life is going to be good now. I can do things the way I want to and be okay. Its how I try to live life now. Yes, I realize that bacon is not overly healthy in excess. But I don't eat it nearly as often as I talk about it. I wish I did. 

So my point is this. Life is short. Too short to worry about everything. Too short to not LIVE. But, it must be enjoyed, without unnecessary stress, so live a life you can afford. Life isn't about STUFF, its about memories! Some people think they need an expensive vacation every year. It gets to be a habit and they really don't enjoy it because they are already trying to figure out where to go the next year to top that one. I took my first true vacation trip last year to Chicago. I may or may not take another one. But I made enough memories on that one trip to last a lifetime! But also, life can be enjoyed at every level. Some of my best memories with my kids are fishing trips a few miles down the road. No cost. But lots of love, laughter and memories. Just because you don't have as much as others, doesn't mean you have to let life pass you by. 

And lastly, watch closely the life you are living. Its like buying bad bacon. Look in that little window in the back, to see if what you are getting is all fat, or lots of meat. Don't just think that because its expensive or on sale that its all the same, or that its the best there is. It's not. Look at the people you are letting in your life, the ones who want to tear you down. Look at the situations you are going through, are there ways to avoid them. Those flaps on the back of the bacon package are there for a reason, so that you can examine the product and make the best decision before you buy it. Jumping through life without examining the path you are on, is dangerous, or disappointing. Because even though it might seem exciting now, there may be downfalls later. 

And it is very important to SHARE your bacon, because holding it all for yourself is not healthy, just like sharing your life with others is important, because life without friends is empty and lonely. And on that note, I think I need to go fix some bacon! All this typing has made me hungry!