Guilt Free Straws=Happiness

I just made myself a big glass of melon-spinach juice (sooo much better than it probably sounds) on my new Jack Lalanne juicer, and that's just great. But what really makes me happy is that I can drink it with a straw and not feel a single pang of the guilt related to the landfill contribution that most straws represent. And that is because I recently became the proud owner of four stainless steel straws. (There are five humans in this household, but the straws come in a four-pack and I was being cautious) They say stuff can't really make you happy, but that's not exactly true. My juicer lets me drink fruits and vegetables which is sometimes more fun than eating them. And my straws, which were $10 from Park + Vine in downtown Cincinnati, well, I think I can say that my stainless steel straws really do make me happy. Maybe because I was sucking on a straw at some of the best moments of my childhood, moments involving thick Carvel milkshakes consumed as lunch (with a side of fries) in the parking lot in front of The All American in Massapequa, where I grew up; more milkshakes (mint chip) consumed as lunch while sitting on the sidewalk in front of the Baskin' and Robbins near Massapequa High School; Fribbles from Friendly's, usually after junior high orchestra concerts, sucked down while sitting on a vinyl covered bench or barstool, and countless egg creams and ice cream sodas at a whole lot of places all over New York City and Long Island. So, now that I'm generally regarded as an adult, no longer growing at a rate of an inch and half a minute, and don't often indulge in milkshakes, ice cream sodas or egg creams, it seems that a mere straw may have the power to turn a drink into more of a TREAT. Anyway, it makes me happy.