Day 62: Bent My Wookie
"Ah, Diorama-Rama. My favorite school event next to Hearing Test Thursday." There isn't usually a lot of wisdom in the words of The Simpsons' Principal Skinner, but he's always good for a laugh. I liked him a lot better when I found out he was a Star Wars fanatic. I never expected to have something in common with Bart's arch-rival, and I certainly don't go into watching a cartoon expecting to learn a lesson.
Welcome back again, thirsty readers! It's another Sunday, so you know what that means. The drink will be tropical, and the theme will be Star Wars. To shake it up a bit, I decided to veer off the track of Lucas-nerd facts, and do something "Star Wars adjacent." If there's anything with an equal fanaticism carried by Star Wars, or tiki for that matter, it would have to be America's favorite family, The Simpsons.
Envy, it's a powerful emotion, and it can be devastating to your mental well-being. During season 6 of The Simpsons, Lisa learns an unexpected lesson about envy and self acceptance. Always the smartest, most clever student at Springfield Elementary, Lisa has her world turned upside-down with the arrival of new student, Allison Taylor.
Initially, Lisa befriends Allison, relieved to have another intellectual among her peers, but she soon feels like another face in the crowd. Allison is smarter and better at all of the things which Lisa thinks make her special. Lisa even visits Allison's home, just to find out her achievements completely eclipse her own. Burning with jealousy, she enlists the help of her brother Bart, hoping to take Allison down a peg.
With the school's "Diorama-Rama" event coming up, Lisa is determined to beat Allison. After her own diorama is accidentally destroyed, Lisa and Bart swap-out Allison's "The Tell-Tale Heart" diorama with a raw cow's heart in a box. To Lisa's surprise, the guilt is unbearable, and she cracks under the pressure, giving Allison back her diorama. As fate would have it, neither of the girls actually end up winning. Instead, Principal Skinner awards the blue ribbon to a box of Star Wars figures, in their original package, courtesy of Ralph Wiggum.
It's hard not to identify with young Lisa's jealousy, whether it's your own or an observation of others. Seeing someone else succeed can be difficult, especially when you're not where you'd like to be in life. I've certainly had a lot of situations when people wanted to take me down a peg, when all I was trying to do was my best. I think it's better to look at Lisa and Allison's example. Even after losing, they befriended young Ralph, rather than be envious of his win. After all, nobody's life is perfect. You never know what struggles they might have beneath the surface, and misfortune can be waiting for anyone around the corner. While walking with the girls, Ralph ends up dropping his winning display, proclaiming "I bent my wookie!"
Bent My Wookie
1.5oz Aged Jamaican Rum (I originally used Appleton Reserve for this, but I would imagine something with a bit more funk could really bring something to the drink)
.75oz Light Dominican Rum (Brugal Blanco Supremo)
.75oz Aperol
.5oz Benedictine
.75oz Lime Juice
5 dashes Angostura Bitters
Chewbacca Tiki
Whip shake and pour unstrained.
Top with crushed ice.
Garnish with mint sprigs, orange rosette, and freshly grated nutmeg.
It's a funny thing, jealousy. None of us are immune, though we like to think we are. When it rears it's ugly head, the true test is how you overcome. I guess that really falls in line with joining together in our current situation. How do you want to be remembered? Are you someone how spent their quarantine judging others, letting resentment overtake you, or did you make the best use of your time, preparing to emerge victoriously. I guess it's perhaps some food for though. I just make the drinks after all. Until tomorrow, lets try and be better than we were yesterday, and above all things, keep shaking.
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