Close to heart

One way to get a passionate response from people is to target something close to their heart. The problem is finding that something. If you had told me that the closing of a fast food franchise would almost break my heart, I would have thought that you are insane.

Let me give a little backstory. I have no real interest in eating fast food even when I was young. A & W closed when I was a kid and I noted its disappearance without much fanfare. Long John Silver left my country's shore for a few years and I hardly cared about its retreat. Before you think that I am a loyalist to KFC or Macdonald's, I can live for months without eating their fare. I do miss the chocolate milkshake but I can substitute it with a more expensive version at most eating places.

Now I understand that after periods of deprivation, junk food does seem appealing but I did not have any brand name loyalty. As long as the meat was hot, the drinks were cold and the burger's stuffings or pizza's topping were sufficient, I was in hog heaven. Did I ever have cravings for any particular items in the fast food? Of course but that was under two conditions. The first was that I was sick of all the other offerings on the menu and the other alternatives were worse (Eg. Cold noodles and I don't mean soba). The second was when there was a novelty item but the interest quickly waned. Now I work in the IT industry so fast food is seen as a staple which is why I hate it when the companies' celebrate with fast food.

Then a few years ago, a fast food chain touched my heart. It had a unique side dish. Its burgers were also delicious and yet reasonably priced. A clue was that their burgers had square patties. I could forget all my problems when I tucked into their meals. And then a few years ago, they disappeared from my country. I could not hide my disappointment. For a while eating fast food was a pain as it kept reminding me of what I had lost.😡

I do miss Wendys but I now have a similar anxiety. Another fast food chain has reduced its outlets to only two. It is Carl's Jr. At this point, I am worrying that I am attached to fast food outlets with human names. The Times They Are A Changin'.





       

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