I see from my nephew's blog that he is on a road trip these days--a kind of whirlwind tour of the west--the "west" in midwestern speak--the tall and short grass prairies--the land of wagon trains, cowboys, Indians, buffalo, and antelope. For east coasters, the west is California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington State.

I wander if my nephew is anything like me and that he saves his sinnin' for when he's on he road. I reserve certain activities to indulge in only when I am on the road, that is, out of town. I haven't sorted out my motivation for this segregation of behaviors unless it is to safeguard my reputation in my own mind. My on-the-road bucket list includes: buying a single powerball ticket at gas and refreshment stops, having a Quik Trip donut to go with the coffee-to-go in a disposable cup including a three-part plastic lid, and buying a bag of caramel corn to accompany the single serving sized chocolate milk in lieu of an afternoon coffee break.

Caramel corn has a sordid history in our family. Dad would buy a single bag of caramel corn, when the carnival came to town rolled into town on its annual circuit. The carnival was appropriately named "Mardi Gras," so letting go of social constraints was community sanctioned. (For those readers looking to cut loose this summer, the 2012 Northland Mardi Gras is scheduled for July 19th thru 22nd. There's your opportunity to hang out with carnies and get those fingers  and the steering wheel during the drive back home sticky with caramel corn residue.)

My experience is clear evidence that the slippery slope phenomenon is a reality, not only with gateway drugs but also with caramel corn. Does this make caramel corn the next gateway drug? Rather than the one-time-a-year in the style of the previous generation, I indulge several times a year. Early in my career, I received a caramel corn recipe from an older co-worker (a woman, at that), so I have been known to cook up a batch at home. Does that mean I am setting up some descendant to be cooking up a little meth in the back bedroom at some future date? The dude will probably be singing Family Tradition by Hank Williams, jr.

Back to my nephew for a moment. I wonder what kind of example his father, my brother, gave him and his brother in terms of on-the-road sins, that is, acceptable violations of good taste and right living in which to indulge when out-of-town. Playing the accordion in public comes to mind, but I probably shouldn't go there. But I just went there, so I will stop now.