Choices

Miscellaneous pieces of wallpaper are blu-tacked once more to our walls. We started the hunt for the kitchen paper yesterday. Blu-tacking pieces to the wall usually helps us decide which we prefer. We trudge from shop to shop, searching through book after book. This time, though, I'm somewhat surprised to say we both suspect we've found the winner already, despite only visiting one shop. Maybe we've just made so many decisions about the kitchen this year that we're getting faster. Or maybe it's just that we're just so fed up of the whole business, that we're both prepared to compromise quicker. We shall look a bit further, but as I say, we suspect the winner is already blu-tacked to the wall.

Choice sounds so wonderful. And it is in many circumstances, but there are times when you begin to feel that you're drowning in options, when you wish there was just a choice of yes or no, of this or that.

Yesterday, I was reminded by Peter White in "30 Reasons to Be Cheerful" on BBC Radio 4, of how little choice there was in the 1950s. I, too, remember a world where everything seemed to be painted cream or brown. I wonder if that is the reason why, when things became more abundant after the War & the end of rationing, we burst into the riot of colour that was the 1960s & 70s.

Now I almost feel overwhelmed by the level of choice. Not one washing powder but a whole shelf load to choose from. There's even a choice of powder, or liquid, of tablet or loose. I just want something to clean our clothes, that's all!!

On the other hand some choices I really appreciate. The range of food is a fine example. When I started to learn to cook in the late 60s/early 70s, olive oil came in a tiny bottle from the chemist. It was to the chemist, too, that you went for herbs. The range of fruit & veg was very limited. Peppers & aubergines were definitely foreign & almost impossible to find. Fresh limes & pineapple equally exotic. Cranberries only came in jars of cranberry sauce for Xmas, & then only if you were lucky enough to find it at all. Forget fresh ginger, lemongrass, passionfruit, figs etc. They just didn't exist. I do appreciate all the variety of taste sensation this increased range of ingredients brings & the different styles of cooking that need these items.

It's just that it can be exhausting to wade through the sheer extent of choice these days.