A snack is something that is taken for granted more than it is appreciated. It is less than a meal but more than nothing. It only cures hunger disease for short periods of time and there are few options for snacks. However, I managed to not only find my favorite snack of all time but also learn and develop the values that came with it.
Six year old me would dread going to the grocery store with my mom. I was too old to fit in the grocery store cart but too young to stay home by myself while my mom wandered around Target for two hours. The only thing that made the experience even a slightly enjoyable was when we would make our way down the granola bar aisle. I don’t know how I even came across this life-changing snack. Market Pantry brand Banana Fudge granola bars became a staple to the grocery list. They were good for a little kid because of the artificial banana taste mixed with the sweet and instant sugar of the fudge in the middle. What I didn’t realize was Banana Fudge granola bars would permanently change my life.
The only flaw to my favorite snack was the quantity. They only came in a box of six. These were expected to last me the duration of the week, until the next grocery trip. Rationing was a difficult task, especially for a six year old who only wanted to eat granola bars for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everything in between. This was the first time I had ever had to rely on patience. This early exposure to the concept of patience made me more successful in life with more challenging and life-changing experiences. The summer before my freshman year, my peers would await their Early College High School program acceptance or rejection letters by checking the mail every day. This program would be important to my academic career, and if I was accepted, I would be graduating with a high school diploma and an associate’s degree. But, my mindset remained as such: “the letter will come when it arrives.” When awaiting my ACT score my junior year of high school, I didn’t even sweat it because I knew it would be here “faster” if I didn’t fret too hard. I would like to think my high level of patience all branched from the hours in between times I could have my snack when I was just six years old.
Those granola bars were my everything. So one can imagine how difficult it was for young me when my mom and I wandered the aisles and they suddenly weren’t there. My mom explained to me that they were out of stock at the time while also coaching me through the largest tantrum of my youth. The following week, we returned to find the shelf still empty. This happened for several weeks to come, until my mom came to the conclusion that they had discontinued Banana Fudge granola bars. This was the biggest hardship I had ever encountered at such a young age. My mom tried to buy every granola bar that was remotely similar. Chocolate chip granola bars, fudge granola bars, banana breakfast bars, chocolate covered bananas. But nothing compared to the decadent treat that I once enjoyed. While these granola bars were the first time I ever experienced patience, they were the first time I ever had to adapt. I had to find something to fill the void that entered my life. Adapting also became a vital part of my life like when I had to transfer elementary school right when I was finally getting settled, or when my brother left for college and I was the only child left in my house. While the discontinuation of my snack was the first time I had to adapt, it made me well equipped with skills to adapt to different situations later in my life.
While granola bars seem like something so insignificant and something that a person would give up instantly given the choice, they are something I hold close to my heart. Without the connection between granola bars and some of my most important values, I would not be the person I am today.
