Depending on the brand of ginger ale, perhaps maybe there is some ginger in it or perhaps maybe there was ginger in the ingredients once upon a time - I’m not here to argue this either way.
What DID occur to me recently while having an upset stomach is how quickly my mother wants to get me ginger ale to “settle my tummy” (I’m in my 40s and my mother still enjoys mothering me, I won’t complain, I like it and she is a master at being a mother extraordinaire!). Ginger is considered by many to help settle one’s upset stomach and that’s why most people or their awesome mothers get ginger ale when they are sick. I have heard some say that carbonation in the soda/pop helps, maybe - I’m not a doctor or expert in this field. Now that’s settled. LOL
Now, onto my thought - maybe like ginger ale we are something people think we are but are not. Maybe we were that “person” once upon a time but we aren’t any more. To many, I’m somewhat “straight presenting” and I was married to the mother of my child for nearly 10 years. I do identify as pansexual (I used to use the label of bisexual but feel pansexual better fits my true sexual identity). So, maybe it isn’t a huge stretch, but I have embraced my “gayness” more so for the last 8 years or so.
I’m also a former educator, but it has been around 20 years since I’ve been in the classroom. I have stayed in the field of education that entire time and I speak the education language (another future blog on that topic) but I have spent more time out of the classroom than in the classroom, a lot more. Still, family and friends come to me for guidance and advice on education related issues because - “you’re a teacher” and not because of being in the field of education my entire life - first as a student, then an educator, a parent, or an education consultant.
Experiences sometimes define us and we sometimes carry these labels for our entire life. Maybe we even lean on these labels when beneficial to us or our pursuits. I decided a couple years ago to live authentically and to be honest with myself; it’s still a work in progress but that’s why this thought came to me for a little blog writing. Deep down inside me I still feel I possess some of those teacher qualities, or straight behaviors, or even talk up my karate skills (two and a half years of YMCA karate in my youth to fend off bullies) - but I don’t feel like I’m that “Garry” any more. There is no more teacher Garry or straight Garry (was there ever?) or ninja Garry (ok, that’s a bit overboard).
So, my question to you - is there still ginger in your ginger ale?