Not letting the oranges tear us apart

“Irreconcilable differences” is the goto term used for married couples who want to get a no-fault divorce. I find the phrase to be an obvious cop-out, as every couple has “differences” that can be considered “irreconcilable.” Take my wife Linda and I, for example. The most obviously irreconcilable different is our divided loyalty between my Minnesota Vikings and her Green Bay Packers. There’s no way either of us is crossing over to the other fan base, so we just have to get used to a certain amount of tension in our household during the months of September through January.

Another area of divergence comes from the question of whether or not to refrigerate certain foods. Aside from the obvious items that need to be refrigerated, like milk and meat, we often come to different conclusions when it comes to fruits and vegetables.

The debate is most contentious when it comes to oranges; specifi cally, the little mandarins that you can peel with your fingers. It’s a healthy snack we both enjoy, but I just can’t understand why she wants them left out on the counter in a bowl.

For me, they belong in the crisper at the bottom of the refrigerator, along with most other fruits and veggies. The chill adds to the flavor, and even the texture is better after it’s spent some time in the cold. But, still, Linda insists that oranges are better left out at room temperature.

So, I decided to consult Google on this question of refrigerating oranges. According to the Florida Department of Citrus, “the refrigerator is the best place for maximizing their shelf life,” so you can keep them fresh for a few more weeks if they’re not out in the open. I’ve tried to make this argument to Linda before, but she won’t budge.

As a result of this “irreconcilable difference,” any new bag of mandarins that enters our kitchen is split into two piles, one for the fruit bowl and another for the crisper. That way, we each get to enjoy our citrus in our own unique way. We have similar debates about the proper storage of carrots and onions, but oranges are the real battleground.

Of course, all of this is pretty trivial. In the grand scheme of things, it is more laughable than lamentable that Linda and I cannot agree on something as simple as food refrigeration.

But, with Valentine’s Day coming up on Friday, I find myself so tremendously grateful to be in a marriage where the “biggest” arguments are about the smallest of things. We continue to click on all of the important stuff, and even our respective bad habits have yet to drive even the slightest wedge between us after more than five years of marriage.

So, just remember, a few “irreconcilable differences” aren’t so bad.

OUT FOR A WALK

KEVIN O’BRIEN

EDITOR