My parents had a favorite jab they used all the time on us kidlings whenever we did something wrong or something that we didn't think all the way thru. And if you have kiddos, you know that the above two issues come with the territory. We were no different. Their notation to us when this occurred were these very words: "You are not worth the salt that goes in your bread." Yep I still remember those exact words. I heard them as a child all the time. I didn't really analyze or try to justify the exact meaning. It was just a statement to me and since I heard it when I did something wrong, I knew it wasn't good. It was what it was. But, I never forgot that statement, nor have I ever used it on my kids. I think subconsciously I knew why. But it was always in the back of my head.
Just a few short years ago that statement popped into my head revealing its true meaning. I don't know why, but I suddenly realized its demeaning nature. And I wondered why my parents chose to say such a thing. Surely they must have known the value of salt? So to get thru this, I did a little research. I purchased a box of salt at the grocery store yesterday (because I needed it). Today I decided to do the math. (I've pondered this for a while, as you can see - but curiosity got the best of me and I bit the bullet this morning.) Here's what I came up with:
The salt cost .36 for 26 ounces (store brand on sale, but I figured mom probably didn't even pay .25 for Morton back then).
1/4t = 1 serving and there are 491 servings per box ~ that is .0007 per serving (.36/491)
To make a loaf of bread you need 1T
1T = 12 servings (to make 1t you need 4 servings, 3t = 1T)
Following me so far?
So 1T = .008 (.0007x12) per loaf for salt
Have I lost you yet?
There are generally 26 slices per loaf (averaged out)
So. . . . .008/26 = .00031 per slice
That, my friends, in not a lot of worth. Not at all.
But . . . . all is good. I'm over it. I've moved on. I just had to put this on paper for posterity's sake. So if I get old and muddle some such nonsense, my caretakers might understand from whence it came and it's relevance and be forgiving.
No comments:
Post a Comment