Oreo's, Pepsi, and Potato Chips

"He who shares is left with the best share."

There's a story that took place when I was eleven that I have enjoyed sharing with my students throughout the years. I usually tell the story in the context of discussions surrounding the topic of selfishness or assertiveness. It also reveals just a bit about where I came from and why I think the way I do on certain subjects. The story takes place the night I kicked my step-dad out of the house.

I remember my step-dad possessing an affinity for five things: Oreos, Pepsi, Seyfert's Potato Chips, Oil of Olay skin products, and cigarettes. As a young kid, two of the five didn't interest me in the least, but those junk foods possessed quite the temptation. One of my step-dad's more notable characteristics was that he didn't like to share. Consequently, the Oreos, Pepsi's, and potato chips were stored underneath his sofa and he gave them up for no one. Before he would leave the house, he would count the cookies and Pepsi's and fold and seal the potato chip bag in such a way to know whether it had been tampered with. If he found anything missing, or -- God forbid -- if he had miscounted, an unholy hell would break loose.

You can imagine the temptation those things had for the kid getting off the school bus and coming home to a house without much food in it. There were times when an Oreo would go missing and I would have to take what was owed. I weighed the costs each time and took calculated risks, but at least I got the Oreo.

There was one particular night that stands out in my memory, the night my step-dad left for good. He came home to discover his priceless possessions had been invaded, and the usual game began. This time, however, the missing pieces were the result of his miscalculation rather than an eleven year old's sweet tooth. I stood up to him for the first time and told him about how selfish he was. By the time my mother chimed in, he had had quite enough. He went to the living room, grabbed the Oreos, sodas, and chips and brought them into the kitchen. In front of us, he crumbled up every cookie and every chip and poured each Pepsi down the drain in a tirade that would embarass a three year-old.

He grabbed what was left of his precious possessions and walked out of our lives.

Funny enough, I don't really like Oreo's, Pepsi, or potato chips. Some would say that's because of the associations I make in my mind with my childhood...or it could be that I don't eat junk food or drink many soft drinks at all. What I do know for sure is that there are a couple rules I've established in my life as a result of my experiences with my step-dad and his junk food fetish:

1) Don't hide (or hoard) food.

2) Share what I've got.

This sharing principle is exceedingly important to me and is one of the driving forces of my life. The kind of sharing I am talking about is beyond the "plays well with others" evaluations of kindergarten and encompasses a broader generosity of living. I believe that everything I have is a gift from God and, as such, is not simply my own to possess. Consequently, it is quite easy for me to share my home, my family, my income, my possessions, and my life with others.

It may sound elementary, but I have gained much more in my life by sharing than I ever have by hoarding. I suppose I've got my step-dad and my Father to thank for that valuable lesson.