I love popcorn. It’s been my favorite snack ever since I was a teenager. We had a wonderful, spacecraft-shaped electric popcorn maker back then. It was aluminum and stood upon three black plastic legs which gave it a look of “lift off.”

The glass aperture in the center of the lid let us watch in anticipation as the kernels burst. As the small orange indicator light slowly lost its glow, we knew that all the hard tan kernels had transformed into delicious white puffs.

Fast forward through inferior plastic versions of that perfect machine, Jiffy Pop®, and then what seemed to be the zenith of popcorn making—the advent of the microwave bag, in a dazzling array of flavors, calories and fat percentages! I was hooked. For years I munched away happily, but felt guilty about the plastic wrappers and throw away bags my habit had produced. I decided to look for an eco-friendly alternative.

While searching in vain for a replacement for the popcorn maker of my youth, I discovered a Whirley Pop®. It’s a light-weight aluminum pot with a specially designed clamp-on lid and a wooden-handled crank, that’s used on the stove. The instructions were very simple and promised that it would only take three minutes. I followed the directions using avocado oil and Orville Redenbacher® popping corn. The first thing I noticed was the aroma that filled the air, combined with my feeling of anticipation as I turned the crank and the sound of the kernels as they moved around so they wouldn’t just sit in the bubbling hot oil.

Then it hit me! Life is a lot like popcorn! Sure, you can buy a bag and stick it in the microwave, but I prefer to turn the crank. And here’s why: I get to make more choices, like what kind of oil to use and what type of popping corn. Do I want to add salt or butter or some kind of flavoring? And how much? Throughout the entire process, I get to be fully present with my senses actively engaged. I’m responding to the bursting kernels, adjusting my movements to speed up or slow down, sometimes backing up before moving on. And finally, knowing when to stop and enjoy the fruits of my labor. Yes, all that in three minutes! And, quite frankly, it’s a lot more fun! So, the next time you reach for that microwave bag, remember, life is a lot like popcorn.

Love making popcorn the way I do? Grab the Original Whirley Pop® and start your own popping adventure:

https://www.amazon.com/Whirley-Pop-Popcorn-Popper-Nylon-Silver/dp/B07Y3X733T?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1