One of the perks of living in upstate New York comes around this time of the year. As soon as the first nip is in the air and the first leaves start to turn, you can be sure that it's apple harvest time. Local orchards open their gates to let folks pick there own and even post on their web sites which variety of apples are currently ready to pick. Every village and town holds their yearly apple festivals and you can be sure that all of your favorite apple desserts will be ready to sample like apple pie, apple crumb, apple turnovers and muffins and, of course, apple cider freshly made. Every kind of apple you can think of is also available from the old standbys like Granny Smith, Red Delicious and Gala, to McIntosh and Honey Crisp. Living just a few miles from the home of Cortland apples makes me feel kind of proud to be a part of it all.
Now folks are pretty particular in these parts concerning which apple is best for which kind of dessert. Some say the Granny Smiths are the best apples for making pie, while others would choose Cortland apples. Does a Gala make a better baked apple than a McIntosh? And which one is best for just plain eating (the vote is still out on that one but I prefer a good old Red Delicious myself). Whatever your needs are, there is an apple to fill the bill.
This reminds me of the diversity of humankind on the planet. Everyone has a purpose, a talent, something that they are better at than others. Some folks make really great doctors while others were born to write the Great American Novel or find a cure for cancer. Maybe you enjoy having your head in the stars while your neighbor would rather have his head hovering over a microscope. Whatever your talent or passion, there is a reason that you are here and a gift that only you can share. If someone asked me to solve a complex math problem or write an equation, I would be completely and totally lost. But if you asked me to write a story or crochet a baby blanket, I'd be on it like a flash. Not all apples are created equal and neither are people. Celebrate your uniqueness and share your talents with the world.
As for me, I know one thing I am very, very good at ... eating apple pie! So if you'll excuse me, I hear a slice that is calling to me ....
And so it is.
