Tomatoes

There are all types of tomatoes and people prefer to eat them in different ways, but one thing I think everyone has in common is they all agree that grocery store tomatoes might as well be styrofoam.

The last time I bought tomatoes, it was an early crop from a grower in Manhattan, KS.There is little to compare to a fully ripened tomato. I remember clearly, living in Tibet and finding the most amazing tomatoes. One of the benefits of living there, was that if it wasn't in season, we couldn't buy it. Thus, I never had a bad tomato in nearly two years. There was one tomato, in particular, that I recall. It was rather on the small side (compared to our jumbo, face-sized tomatoes), perfectly red, barely soft to the touch, but firm enough my thumb did not sink into it as I pressed. When I sliced it open, it smelled like pure tomato-ness. That first bite was heaven. It was sweet, juicy, and the fragrance filled my nose and mouth. That tomato was the best possible version of itself that it could be. It was what we all strive to be in life--perfect. There are lessons to be learned from tomatoes. If we take our time, ripen to maturity, we come out as perfect as we can be.