The Magical Marketing of an Eggplant of Mythical Proportion
Yes, folks, this is truly an eggplant love story that started many decades ago when I first met my then future father in law. He was a meat and potatoes kind of man. When I first started dating his eldest daughter, I was quickly under suspicion for all kinds of unimaginable reasons that came down to just one thing. “Was I man enough to take care of his girl?” (in the event that we ever decided to run off to get married. That was the liberal side of him).
And so, I was invited out to many a family dinner. Theirs was a house where, when you were called to dinner, you grabbed your coat and stood by the door – awaiting the destination for the evening’s feast. Big name steak places. Corner diner, blue plate beef specials. Always meat. Always potatoes. I fit right in – mostly vegetarian – always Eggplant when it was on the menu.
It didn’t take long for him to ask my future Mother in Law, “What’s the matter with that guy? Does he think we’re poor? Does he always have to order the cheapest thing on the menu?”
Try as she might, I don’t think she ever really convinced him that I really, really did like eggplant.
Fast forward a few decades. My father in law has passed-on and my Mother in Law resides in the warm climates to the far South. She worries about costs and sees travel back our way as both a hassle as well as an expense. We’ve had ongoing discussions about spending the time together now and don’t worry about the money – but – sometimes – money still lurks as a background obstacle to more frequent visits. Lurked, in the background, that was, until I had an impassioned conversation recently about us paying her way, anytime and every time she wanted to visit the grandkids and the great grand kids.
The secret stash? The magic source of this limitless bounty of generosity?
The long held special EGGPLANT SAVINGS FUND, I told her. Her husband was right. And after nearly 40 years of marriage – all that money I saved, eating the cheapest thing on the menu has transformed into this special fund that we could call upon to pay for her travel – anytime she wanted to visit.
The first set of tickets was in her hands in minutes. The laughter has never ceased. My father in law – of blessed memory –is a guest at most dinner conversations along with the requisite plate of eggplant.
And then I found Brushstrokes With ImpactTM Art by Maria Castellano-Usery. Her program for having community impact while making the art she loves is wonderful. It’s a way of giving on so many fronts. You can follow her delightful blog here. Her psychedelic eggplant became my obsession as the gift to deliver to my mother in law. A birthday present, yes, but also a powerful reminder of the power of love, art and humor!!!