Kiss Me. I'm a Banana.

Loyal readers will remember a post on March 8th regarding a lost banana. As a follow-up: I've since seen two bananas on the road, one of which I've provided the picture. The other was spotted while I was on a jog, and I couldn't stop, not even for a banana, to take a picture.

What is it about bananas being lost on the road? I don't understand. Their shape is oblong. It's not like they can roll down a San Francisco hill away from their owners. How are these precious yellow fruits turning into forgotten worthless transients? When I pack a snack in my bag, I cherish it until the moment I eat it. I don't accidentally drop it on the ground. And even if I did, the yellow peel would protect the sweet innards making the fruit itself still edible.

So what are all these bananas doing strewn about?

Maybe I've been trying to the solve the wrong aspect of this problem. Maybe, just maybe, bananas are more womanly than I give them credit for.

I believe the banana is the hobo of the fruit world not because of its superficial shape but because of its innate qualities. The fragility, the commonality--these make bananas easy targets for abandonment.

Bananas, like women, are everywhere, and they damage if treated improperly. People can simply toss away a bruised and hurt banana because they think there is always another banana. And most of the time, they are right. At a measly 30 cents a pound, another banana can be found as easily as another crush or one-night stand. While each one is perfectly unique, the tender nature of a banana requires personalized care, dedicated attention, and uncommon love, much like a woman.

Bananas are not apples. You can't leave them in fridge and forget about them for a week. Bananas are not pears. They are cheap enough to be taken for granted. Bananas are not oranges. They don't fit easily into any lunchbox.

I see bananas on the road because people toss them away like they toss away inamoratas. Truly ask yourself: How tenderly and patiently would you eat a banana if it were the last one on earth? If God created one banana just for you, would you peel it like you were sliding your soul mate out of her silk dress?