Ask Fran

Dear Fran,

I have a question. Yesterday a friend said his friend said that he doesn't like Qdoba because it tastes like Band-Aids. What did he mean?

Dear Reader,

Very possibly, this friend of a friend ate a Band-Aid and found the flavor unpleasant.  Whether he ate the Band-Aid before or after trying Qdoba, we do not know.  What seems clear is that the experiences were similar. 

The question that haunts me, dear reader, is what’s wrong with the taste of Band-Aids?  Of course, one is meant to chew and not swallow Band-Aids, but it is precisely for their flavor that we indulge. 

Perhaps we too hastily assume that this friend does not like Band-Aids.  Perhaps he likes them very much and Qdoba’s portion sizes do not adequately satisfy his appetite. 

Perhaps he is put off – as I am – at the notion of paying for sensation that nature provides for free on sidewalks and in trashcans.

Unfortunately, all we can discern about the meaning of his statement is that the mammalian heart is a complicated muscle.  The outsider can never know -- not with any degree of certainty – if another’s aversions are driven by disgust or insatiable desire.