“Listen here….. don’t you kids go playing in that back room.  I don’t want you to go and fall through that old trap door.”

That’s what my great Aunt Louise used to say when we were visiting.

Now… this made me wonder beyond wonder.

“What kind of trap was it?  One with a door…. but what…. or WHO…. was she trapping?”  I asked my older brother.  He explained it was just a door in the floor that went down to a room below.  Probably a potato cellar.

“Oh my god.   She DOES have somebody down there!  A Potato Seller! But who is he selling potatoes to?  How long has he been down there?”  The questions bounced around in my little head like a fart in a skillet.  “Was the guy okay?  What if one of us would have fallen through… THEN WHAT?!”

Finally, I couldn’t take it any more.  I had to ask Aunt Louise.  She said it wasn’t a potato cellar down there.  It was a root cellar.

“A ROOT Seller?  What kind of roots?  She REALLY did have a guy down there.  But it was making sense now. Roots grow underground, and that’s where the guy would have to be to get the roots.”

Then Aunt Louise added…. “Besides that.  Your Uncle Mac keeps his beer down there.”

Oh… now I was putting the puzzle together.  It was a secret place to make Root Beer. The Root Seller was there to sell roots for the beer… or something in that neighborhood.  We left Uncle Mac and Aunt Lou’s house that day.  I never did get a look down through that Trap Door.  But I decided from that day forward, I would love Root Beer.  I sort of made a commitment to it.  I guess I felt sorry for that guy down there.. and wanted to support the industry… or something.

Yep.  I used to drink Root Beer every chance I got.  That is…. when we were allowed to choose a soft drink on family outings and such.  But then there was my oldest sister’s wedding.  I could have as much Root Beer as I wanted at that reception.  Same with Homemade Polish Cookies.  I consumed so much Root Beer and super rich confections… that I threw up that night.

I can’t even stand the smell of Root Beer as an adult.  And I will only eat Polish Sausage… but never a Polish Cookie.

Yes my friends..  I think that Trap Door came full circle.
That is how the cookie crumbles.
How the Fat Lady Sings.
And how the Root Beer Floats.

On one hand, we know that everything happens for a reason, and there are no mistakes or coincidences. On the other hand, we learn that we can never give up, knowing that with the right tools and energy, we can reverse any decree or karma. So, which is it? Let the Light decide, or never give up? The answer is: both.  – Yehuda Berg