An Avocado
April 23, 2010
Scooping avocado into my salad, I remembered the first time I experienced that fruit. I was sixteen, babysitting a ten-year-old boy named Zach and his little sister Sierra. I was the baby of my family and didn’t know what to do with kids, especially toddlers. It was the first time I had ever changed a diaper, and the first time I put a little one to sleep. I hated how out of my element I felt. Zach trailed behind me telling me how to do things, which only added to my embarrassment. Once we got Sierra to sleep, Zach informed me that we’d be making lunch. He pulled out the whole wheat bread, the cheese, the mayo, the mustard, and an egg-shaped bumpy green thing that he cut into with a butter knife to reveal that gorgeous green that begs to be eaten. I remember Zach instructing me how to assemble the open face sandwiches we placed under the gas broiler. I remember the first delicious bite. And, despite what a pitiful babysitter I was that day, I remember my young teacher fondly.
A nice thing… good teachers can come in small packages if we’re willing to learn.
A nice thing... 
My dogs teach me new stuff every day. My cats generally cancel out what the dogs have taught me. It all evens out by the end of the day.
I wrote a story about how my dad allowed his pensioners to get fat eating avocados.
I worked for a master cabinetmaker when I was just out of college, he had several avocado trees, so I had all I wanted and more. One of the trees produced “cukes” which were long skinny seedless avocados about as big as your thumb. Sometimes there was a small husk in the middle where the seed should have been. Those were so very delicious. They’re rare, I don’t think I’ve ever seen any for sale anywhere.
And yes, if we’re willing to learn, the lessons can come from everywhere.
xo
I did not taste avocado until college. I remember being alarmed @ that vivid green, then loving it.in ca we almost bought a virtually collapsing house just for its huge avocado tree!
Zach sounds like a character- how cool that he was assertive enough to teach you this delicious-sounding sandwich technique!