The Egg And I

 

An egghead?  Yes, that is EGGs-actly what I am.  My mind has always been the inquiring kind, but not in the tabloid sense.  I am constantly seeking answers to questions and striving to learn new information.  Why?  Because my inquiring mind just has to know.

One of the things my mind wonders about is how the mind works in general and how my mind works specifically.  It made me curious enough to minor in psychology in college.  Okay, I was one course short of achieving that minor, but I learned enough psychology to make me intellectually dangerous.  And what better subject to study than my own mind?  It’s always available to me and free of charge.

The concept of word association fascinates me.  When someone says a word, what pops into your head?  According to psychologists, it is a word that reveals something about your subconscious mind.  So, I’m going to attempt to psychoanalyze myself with a session of word association.  Let’s see if you reach the same conclusion about my mind as I do.

Eggs are an EGGs-tremely timely topic with Easter having occurred this past Sunday.  Where would the secular version of this religious holiday be without eggs to dye, plastic eggs to fill with candy and eggs to hide for an Easter egg hunt?  Interestingly, Easter eggs were not the first thought I had when I pondered the word “egg.”  In fact, they  weren’t  even in the first five or six thoughts I had.  My take on this result?  Easter, to me, is not about bunnies, baskets and boiling eggs.  It is about the resurrection of Christ.  Conclusion:  I am a person of faith.

Now that we know what I didn’t associate with the word “egg,” let’s move on to what I do associate with it.  Green eggs and ham.  That’s it Sam I Am.  I think of green eggs and ham.  Dr. Seuss is a favorite author of mine.  I read his books when I was a child, and I then read them to my kids when they were little. Why, I even made my offspring a green ham and eggs breakfast to celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday one year.  Conclusion:  I am a reader and have fond memories of being a child and of being a parent.

The next word association for me with “egg” is deviled eggs.  Mmm! Mmm! Good!  Deviled eggs are a family favorite.  I learned to make them at an early age and used this creation to impress a high school boyfriend.  My recipe endured even if the relationship did not.  I am typically directed to bring my special deviled eggs to family gatherings, and my father-in-law loves to receive some all for himself on big occasions such as his birthday.  No, the devil doesn’t make me make deviled eggs–that’s what my family does. Conclusion:  I think of family togetherness in terms of shared meals and show my love for my family by creating food for them.

Another word association I have for “egg” is Egghead. Egghead was a villain on the Batman TV show which aired when I was a young child.  The character, played by horror movie star Vincent Price, thought he was the world’s smartest villain.  Despite his literal and figurative egghead, Egghead could never outwit the good guys, Batman and Robin.  Batman may have been the big hero, but I was EGGs-tremely taken by his youthful, good-looking sidekick, Robin.  Robin could have laid an egg for me whenever he wanted  Swoon!  Conclusion:  While I admire intelligence, I realize it can be used for the wrong purposes.

The next association I have for “egg” is the question “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?”  No, it is not a silly question.  It is an infuriating one.  The chicken had to come from somewhere (Duh! An egg!), but then the egg had to come from somewhere as well (Duh! A chicken!).  I have easily resolved the question based on my faith.  The creation story found in Genesis has God creating birds and animals.  Nothing was said about whipping into EGGs-istence any eggs that Adam and Eve would have to wait on to hatch.  God’s directive to be fruitful and multiply meant that He wanted the hens He had just created to get down to the egg-laying business.  Conclusion:  I enjoy intellectual inquiries and have no problem accepting an answer based on my faith as opposed to having scientific proof.

A final and very personal word association for “egg” in my mind is “hot pavement.”  No, I haven’t flipped out; I tried flipping an egg on the hot street in front of my house one summer.  I had heard the expression about it being so hot you could fry an egg on the sidewalk.  There being no sidewalk in front of my house, I went with what was handy–the street.  My sister, my friends and I got an egg from my kitchen and proceeded to crack it on the street.  We waited EGGs-pectantly for a fried egg to magically be produced.  Instead we were treated to what was as EGGs-citing as watching grass grow.  Nothing happened.  At least not then.  The egg never fried, but it did eventually tear up the pavement.  We would pass that spot as we went for walks down the street and say, “That’s where we tried to fry an egg.”  Conclusion:  I am not content to simply take someone’s word for something and will often need to verify it for myself.

Perhaps your mind isn’t inquiring in the way mine is.  At least you were inquiring enough to read this blog post to see what EGGs-actly I had to say.  Hopefully, my words brought enjoyment to you and I will not end up with egg on my face for having written this post.  If you did not enjoy it, please do not egg my house.  Word association for house egging?  Law breaking.  Don’t be a bad egg!

Just WONDER-ing:  What do YOU associate with the word egg?

 

 

 

 

 

 

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