I put my hand into the bag and with joyous anticipation draw out one sweet and creamy nugget.  I take it back to where I am writing and begin the process of removing it from its cellophane wrapper.

I slip one fingernail into the triangular fold of plastic at one end and pull.  It does not budge.  I give it more effort and attention and try again.  Nothing.  I walk over to the cabinet, pull a paring knife from the drawer, and slip it under the fold.  “Snap.”  Success!  I drop the knife back into the drawer and return to my computer.

The fold on the other end comes up easily, so I start working on grasping the overlap in the middle.  I can almost taste the candy.  Yum… Wait! Where is the overlap?  My fingers fumble around every part of the wrapper.  No luck.  Why can’t I find it?  My aggravation surfaces.

“Whose idea was it to buy these stupid things anyway?”  I ask aloud to no one in particular.  I grudgingly remember…it was mine.

My lip curls on one side and my eyes narrow.  I could give up.  Heaven knows I do not need this piece of candy, but my frustration and my pride have other plans.  Seriously, how hard can it be to remove a candy wrapper?

I study and tug, but with each pull I only succeed in snapping off tiny little pieces of cellophane.

“Thin, cheap stuff,” I mutter under my breath.  “Why can’t they wrap these stupid things in wax paper with twisted ends like Grandma use to do?”  I continue picking away.

Eventually, with a mountain of cellophane bits piled up on the napkin, I raise the caramel to make sure every last bit of plastic is gone.  I can almost hear the hallelujah chorus and see the golden light beaming from around the treasured confection.

“To the winner goes the spoils.”  Isn’t that how that old saying goes?  I have waited for this moment for nearly ten minutes.  This better be the best caramel ever!

I slowly bite into the candy.  With each chew, my spirit sinks a little lower.

Well…that was disappointing.  I sweep the multitude of cellophane bits into my hand, throw them away, and return to my writing.

One thing is for sure, this experience will make dieting a little easier.