Today’s headline is my favorite palindrome. As a Philadelphia-area-resident who has a son who hates bananas, it resonates.
One great feature of family reunions is that you find other people with the same likes/dislikes as you. Banana-hating has been found on the 18th chromosome of our DNA. It is expressed most clearly in the forms of my son Hugh and brother Richard.
Hugh shared a story from third grade (calling Mr. M!) when he was playing tag at recess. A kid shoved him, Hugh fell. His hand landed in a blackish mass on the ground. The gunk proved to be a rotten banana. Hugh started gagging. He went to the nurse and told her he was feeling queasy. She listened to his tale of woe, then rasped out harshly:
“Let me get this straight. You feel SICK….because you TOUCHED…a BANANA.” She gave him a Tum (singular) and sent him packing.
While the rest of us guffawed at this story, Uncle Richard took Hugh’s side. I think he was ready to file a lawsuit for school nurse incompetence. Banana Solidarity. Another reason to love family reunions.