Farmers’ Market:
‘Terrible Twos’
Like many other stereotypes, there is more than a grain of truth in the storied Terrible Twos. There is a commonality of behaviors at that age that every parent acknowledges with sighs and rolled eyes. It is like the worst of middle school experiences, except without the wash of hormones fogging young brains.
Everything is such a roller coaster ride when emotions lie so close to the surface and the owner lacks words to contain them. Bad days bring fountains of tears and gulping sobs. Frustration arrives with screams and full-body belly flops on the floor. A Blue Monday can make even the family pets scramble for cover. As a result of stories shared with new parents, the Terrible Twos is a phase they dread their first time “at bat.”
To be fair, not everything about Two is terrible, though. The smiling times bring beams that almost require shades and sunscreen. Anticipation of macaroni and cheese can get a toddler perking up and down in a booster seat like a painted horse on the merry-go-round. Promise of cake and ice cream sets a spoon pounding a Jamaican reggae beat on the table. A mouthful of “yummy” can lead them to flail the spoon above their head, conducting a Wagnerian prelude only they can hear. Powerful emotions translated to physical actions, their owner too young to tamp them down.
Age brings “maturity,” we like to pretend. At the very least, we only scream wordlessly in our minds or perhaps behind a locked door. It may be too risky to belly-flop … how will we manage to get up again? But on the inside? On the inside, you give us a mouthful of “yummy,” and the 1812 Overture will break out in our minds, complete with cannon near the finale. Food is such a great equalizer.
As the season progresses, despite the slow start (More Noah’s Ark than Wellington’s Victory so far this year), more and more delicious items appear at the Presque Isle Farmers’ Market. Sweet fruits, tender greens, grass-fed meat, poultry, and dairy, beautiful flowers … all available every Saturday morning. Stop by and feed your inner child.
This column is written by members of the Presque Isle Farmers’ Market. For more information, visit their website at https://sites.google.com/site/presqueislefarmersmarket/home.
