Phillips: Do you ever just wonder?

We went to the coffee shop the other day, and hundreds of different coffee drinks were listed. Hundreds. All I wanted was coffee, which is what I got. I had them add a little half-n-half, and it never covered up the color of the coffee. It was good, strong coffee. Why would anyone want any other kind of coffee when all it does is mask the real coffee taste?

Years ago when we’d go up to Marge’s folk’s ranch they would at times fry or barbeque hamburgers but Marge’s Dad liked his almost raw. I wondered why but then I never tried raw hamburger to see how it tasted. It's kind of like steak where the outside is browned and the middle is fire engine red and bleeding. Some say this isn’t blood. Regardless, I’ll pass. Some say it’s better and more tender. I’ll never know.

The craze today is imitation meat, which takes all kinds of whatnots and makes it taste like real meat. It would make more sense to me if they simply came up with a brand new flavor and called it “I” or “Q” and gave it a new texture not resembling meat at all. It would, hopefully, for the creator to stand on its own merits. For me, imitating plant-based meat is striving to look and taste like meat but be totally plant-based. I wonder why anyone would go for it.

I was looking at some family get-together pictures recently, and there were some individuals with long hair, some with short hair, some with orange hair, some with green hair, some with long hair in a bun, and some in a ponytail. Some looked normal to me but then I’m probably biased regarding my idea of normal. So where did we get the idea that this is normal or weird. Most of us have an opinion, but why? Was it where we were born and raised? I wonder why?

Some people like to fish, and I’m one of them. Some have no inkling to go fishing at all. Some like rock music, and some like country. Some like loud music, and some like soft music. Some like a lot of bass, and others like a little bass. Some like jazz with a saxophone and maybe a trumpet. Some like a steel guitar. Some can tell if it’s in tune, while others haven’t a clue. I wonder why?

I was talking to my brother, and we both decided we didn’t like bread. He was telling me about eating a sandwich recently, and he cut the top of the bun in half thickness-wise to cut down on bread. Warmed my heart! That’s why I seldom have a sandwich because invariably 2/3 to 3/4 of the sandwich will be bread. Can’t remember the sandwich chain but they started with a bun, then patty n cheese, another bun, then patty n cheese and final top bun. Way too much bread. Kind of like pizza that has a half-inch of bottom crust. Don’t like and don’t want. But some love the crust and the bread. I wonder why?

Three hundred years ago, give or take, there was a body of guys who thought the world where they lived was way too populated, so they began to journey west. The jump-off spot at one time was St Louis and the Mississippi River. West of this was an uncharted wilderness supposedly teaming with beaver and bison and Indians scattered here and there. So, a good many left civilization and went out into the wilderness. Today some similarly look up at the heavens and wonder what lies up there amongst the stars. Hey, I wonder if there is intelligent life out there somewhere or even an advanced civilization.

People are different, and it’s as simple as that. At times, we may look at those around us, wonder why and shake our heads in amazement.

Phillips began life as a cowboy, then husband and father, carpenter, a minister, gardener and writer. He may be reached at phillipsrb@hotmail.com.