The title of this post is a shout out to a blog that I loved – Shouldn’t But Do (and its companion, Should But Don’t).  Sadly, both blogs appear to have been abandoned by their creators.  If you’re out there, Andrea and Jeff, come back.  We miss you and all the things you shouldn’t but do.

I’m trying to be better about my eating.  Unlike many people’s January eating goals, it’s not a weight-conscious thing – I am one of those irritating people who can eat pretty much anything and not gain weight.  But this year I’m striving to eat real food more sustainably.

That means that Act II Butter Lovers popcorn is a big “shouldn’t but do.”

But you know what?  I’m not giving it up.  I don’t care that inhaling popcorn fumes gives you lung cancer. And I don’t care that the “butter” in the name bears no resemblance to actual butter.  I don’t care that I have to drive out of my way because they only carry it at a certain grocery store, that the ingredient list could be the first chapter of a novel, or that one bag contains more calories (and calories from fat – wow!) than my entire dinner.  Don’t bother suggesting an air popped, yeasted, buttered, salted alternative.  I’ve tried them and I’m not interested.

So why am I saying this?

Because I think we need to remember how attached we are to some things.  Yes, it would probably be better all around if I were to eat a different kind of popcorn.  But sometimes things end up meaning more to us than they actually are.

When I was little, my mom and I used to watch movies, drink lemonade and eat popcorn together.  This popcorn.  Never any other popcorn.  I remember riding in the cart at Price Club (now Costco) and watching her put the case Act II in the cart, always making sure it was the Butter Lovers kind.

And now, when I pop a bag of popcorn, I end up with this face staring up at me.  My cat loves popcorn, and she always comes to share it with me (read: steal it out of my hands).  College, cross-country road trips, first apartments, new cities, new jobs – my cat + popcorn = home.

Making changes in your life can be hard, be it a thousand little changes or a couple of really big ones.  I don’t think there’s anything wrong with getting caught up in the momentum of change.  In fact, it’s awesome when you do!  But if you feel yourself dragging your heels or digging in on something, I think it’s alright to take a step back and reevaluate.  Sometimes it’s okay to pick something easier to change.  Someday I’ll probably give up my popcorn for a better alternative.  But today – and every day – I’m just doing my best.  And then I’m going to have a bag of popcorn.  And I’ll be okay with that.

I wrote this just as the news about Monsanto’s GMO corn causing organ failure in rats hit the internet.  I haven’t been able to figure out if my popcorn is Monsanto corn, but I’ve decided it doesn’t really matter.  I’m going to hold off on buying any more Act II until they figure the Monsanto thing out, which may mean that I’ll never buy it again.  (I’ll eat what I have, because I abhor wasting food more than I fear possible popcorn-induced organ failure.)

I decided to post this in spite of my change in opinion.  I think it’s a good example of how a little new information can change your perspective on something you were pretty darn sure about just minutes before.  Go figure.

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