Wasn’t life a little easier when we could choose either mayonnaise or salad dressing? Not have to decide whether you need the “real” mayonnaise, the Original, the Diet, or the New!, with a touch of lime. And then there are the containers to pick from – some upside-down, some plastic, some glass. Too much!

I saw a man shopping yesterday and he was staring at the 3-foot-long array of jars – and asked me “Where’s the real mayonnaise?” It was then I noticed the wide selection available by brand, packaging and contents. Unable to answer him, I smoothly drove my cart around the corner.

Back in the Middle Ages in what was called Home Economics, a required subject for girls to take in the first or second year of high school, we did learn to make mayonnaise from scratch. I wouldn’t go that far today, but it would be almost easier than standing, bent over, peering at the labels through bi-focals. You know that all the mayonnaise and salad dressing is on the bottom shelf in the grocery store.

Choices. Why do we have to have so many of them? “Choice” is touted as something desirable. I liked it better when there was one kind of peanut butter, not a choice of crunchy, low-cal, salt-free or pb with jelly injected. And you picked either mayo (made with eggs) or salad dressing (no eggs), sweet or sour pickles – you get the idea. Simplicity in shopping.

But I guess that’s what all this spare time in retirement is about. One can take (or use up) time making choices. Sometimes my biggest choice of the day is whether to watch television, read or write. After reading Lee Hews Casler’s article about American Idol, I’m tempted to watch that sometime. It’s certainly become a household word in the TV culture, but I have not made the choice to watch it – yet.

As I write this I am mulling another choice around in my mind. Do I go to the Planning Board to record the minutes or do I go to the Historical Society and read the minutes. Secretary/clerk for each organization makes this choice subject to a coin toss. The Historical Society won that one. I’ll transcribe the Planning Board minutes from the videotape.

When I hear the litany of courses and sports and other activities offered in school, I can’t believe the choices available to young people. And if our young folks have so many physical activities to pick from, why are our kids so chronically overweight? Must be because they don’t choose Healthy Snacks. I bet there’s a choice in the school cafeterias between stuff good for you and stuff that’s not really good for you but tastes good.

Trying to anticipate the amount of space available in the newspaper of this coming Friday compels me to make a choice right now, as to length of this column. But it’s an informed choice, very different from the other kind. So to all of you who “love having a choice to make” and to those who, like me, welcome simplicity, I’ll see you next week.