Gum freaks anonymous

I have an oral fixation. One can always find gum, mints, or some other kind of candy (Smarties, for one) in my purse.

I started off my career as a gumball freak when I was way little. I don't remember my first piece, but I do recall doing some desperate things to get gum; scraping it off sidewalks and streets (abc - already been chewed) and picking chunks out of it before making it my own, or walking to the grocery store at 2 years old because I found a penny for the machine, or constantly getting caught chewing gum in school.

One of my worst habits was saving my chewed gum in the butter compartment of the refrigerator - where I'd park it to break for meals. My sister, Sue, complained bitterly about that disgusting habit. The blob would harden in the fridge, and then come to new life when plucked out of there and popped into my warm, moist mouth. There could be many blobs in there at a time.

I just loved the stuff. Still do.

I like to try new kinds of gums when they come out, ever encouraging inventors to develop new flavors and chewing textures.

My current favorite is a gum called "5". I haven't tried the cinnamon flavored yet, but the peppermint and spearmint flavors are delicious and have a long-lasting chew.

"5" edged out the contender for my favorite, which is Orbit's White - spearmint or peppermint. Orbit also makes two others that are respectable; Bubblemint and Melon Breeze. All of these Orbits purport to remove stains and whiten teeth, but I haven't noticed a difference.

I am still crazy about Bazooka, Fruit Stripes, and any Colossal gumball from a quarter machine. I chew them in the privacy of my own home so as not to disturb anybody but my husband with my chomping, smacking, and bubble-blowing habits. He asks me, "do you have to make all that noise?"

I had 4 teens in my car the other night, on the way to a parade (Mardi Gras season again). I asked if anybody wanted any gum - they all did - and pulled out three different kinds for them to choose from.

I figure that I will always have gum in my purse. It is better for me than the cigs I used to carry on me as well.

I no longer swallow gum when I am finished - that used to be a bad habit when I was a younger lass. My final reformation came from watching the show "Unwrapped" on the Food Channel when they visited "Double Bubble's" headquarters and the information that rubber is used in the making of gum. All those years of swallowing... I am probably quite bouncy on the inside.