My Peanut Story

They say eating peanuts makes you smarter—well, I must've missed the memo on how many sacks of peanuts I need to devour to actually become a genius. If peanuts were the key to intelligence, I should be running the world by now. But hey, I still enjoy munching on a handful every now and then.

Looking back, peanuts have been part of my life for as long as I can remember, but not in the way you'd expect. I wasn’t sitting around snacking on them as a kid—I was actually planting them on our small farm. You see, my father was a tailor, but when he needed a break from sewing all day, he would retreat to the farm to grow peanuts. It's funny how a poor man’s "break" from work often turns into another form of work, right? But that’s life in the province, where hard work and resilience are the main ingredients for survival.

Now, let me tell you about a little adventure I had with peanuts on my way to school. When I was young and living in the province, I had to walk several kilometers to get to school. And, naturally, on the way there, I passed by farms—some with peanuts, others with corn, rice, and other crops.

But let's focus on the peanuts for now. I wasn’t exactly the most law-abiding kid back then (I’m sure you can see where this is going). I had a sneaky little habit of "borrowing" peanuts as I passed by the peanut fields. I'd bend down, pretending to pick up stones, but in reality, my other hand was busy snatching up the peanuts from the ground. If I saw a watchful farmer, I’d quickly straighten up, and toss a few "stones" in the air to make it look like I was busy with my innocent task, not pilfering peanuts. It was like I had my very own peanut heist going on every morning!

In retrospect, I guess those peanuts really did pay off, because they were the perfect fuel for a young, growing brain. If nothing else, they helped me hone my quick thinking and stealth skills. Maybe it wasn’t about intelligence after all—but who’s to say those peanuts didn’t give me a little extra brainpower (and some much-needed survival instincts)?

So, while I can't promise that eating peanuts will turn you into the next Einstein, they certainly played a role in my humble beginnings—and for that, I’m grateful. Just make sure you don't go “picking” any peanuts from fields without asking first. It's all fun and games until you get caught!

And if you need a good excuse for why you're munching on peanuts today—well, you can always claim it's for your brain health. After all, it worked for me... sort of!