What's with the ketchup hate?

 Ok, so several people have asked me what my issue is with ketchup (or catsup depending on where you are). Usually I just say I don't like it, but lately I've had thoughts rattling in my brain about it so I thought I would get those thoughts out. Honestly, that's how most of these entries come to be. 

Ketchup (which is the way Heinz spells it, so my Pittsburgh roots make me use that spelling) is my least favorite condiment and it's a valid statement to say I don't like it. I truly just don't care for it, but the name of this blog has come to represent more to me than just a dislike of a tomato based condiment. 

First, let's start with a little history lesson. Twenty plus years ago I was helping my now husband with a research paper for school and discovered that according to historical records, "ketchup" was originally made with anchovies. At the time, I thought that was really gross, but now I think I'd be more likely to try that ketchup than the tomato stuff on the shelf at the grocery store. Fast forward about 15 years and my husband chooses a docu-series (if you know him, you know he loves a good docu-series) about the history of foods. During the episode on ketchup I learned that what we know as ketchup was originally used to hide the flavor of spoiled meat. That's definitely not a profitable advertising campaign waiting to happen now, but in the 1800s it makes perfect sense. None of these little tidbits of information were making ketchup more appealing to me by any stretch of the imagination, but that's not really how the blog got it's name. 

Fast forward a couple of more years, not really sure how many and I met a new friend (you know through a friend, because that's how grown ups make new friends...through other people) and we all went out to dinner one night. Sitting at the table some how it comes up that I don't like ketchup (this is weird because we were eating Mexican food) and my new friend tells me that she also doesn't like ketchup. WHHHOOOAAA! Another person who doesn't like what seems to be the most beloved of the condiments. At one point during the even she makes the comment that "life's too short for ketchup". This stuck in my head and when I was looking to name my blog it made sense to me. 

Ok, so that's the tangible stuff, but as mentioned earlier the name has started to mean something a little deeper. Not long ago, I was doing something and the name of this blog popped into my head. Immediately I was like "huh, should I be writing something?" and then the next thought came to me. I don't like ketchup because it makes everything the same. It masks the flavors of what I'm eating. I don't want everything to be the same. Well, as often happens for me, my brain shot right down a rabbit hole of life experiences.

I have an incredibly wonderful life. I have traveled, seen concerts, married an amazing man, have two inspiring children, three fantastic brothers and their wives, been truly loved by my parents and there is no way I could list all the fabulous friends that I am lucky to be loved by (even when I'm hard to love) but that doesn't mean that I have never felt pain. All you need to do is scroll some of my past blogs to see a little of my most recent events. I've lost both my parents, failed at things I thought I could do with my eyes shut, had my heart broken, at one time wondered if I would ever even get to be a parent and watched people I love hurt in a way that destroyed me, but I couldn't do anything about it. 

That's the point of life. It's meant to be felt and lived and tasted. Orthodoxy has a hymn from Psalm 34:8 called "Taste and see" that is sung during certain seasons as we approach the chalice for Communion. The words are literally "taste and see that the Lord is good"
. It's really easy to enjoy things when everything is exactly as you asked it to be. It's really easy to swallow the terrible tasting meal if you cover it in ketchup, but will you truly enjoy the amazing, perfectly cooked meat if you automatically cover it in ketchup. What have you missed by never letting yourself really taste and see?