Mayo Sandwiches - The Sequel!

Remember last week when I wrote that article about mayonnaise sandwiches? Remember I said that if I got some comments from fellow Gatherers telling me they'd actually eaten mayonnaise sandwiches that I would show them to my kids? And that my kids would then eat a mayonnaise sandwich as a result? And remember I told you that if I got a lot of comments/emails about mayo sandwiches that I would use them in a subsequent column?

Well, don't say that I don't live up to my promises. I got swamped with comments and/or emails about mayonnaise sandwiches - far more than for any article I've ever written! Apparently, there are a goodly number of mayonnaise sandwich connoisseurs out there among ya'll, and you weren't shy about telling me about your experiences. Witness these sample quotes from some of my emails:

"You can put me on your mayonnaise sandwich list. Sometimes I ate it plain, occasionally I added peanut butter. Ever eaten bread and butter with sugar sprinkled on the butter? Of course, they hadn't invented cholesterol in those days." - Ed Ennis, Macon.

"I would like to assure your two children that a lot of us ate and still do eat mayo sandwiches. I have a seven year old granddaughter that started eating them for after school snacks. At first she thought I was crazy, but then she tried one and that was all it took." - Neva Peters Perdue, Forsyth, fellow classmate, Mary Persons High School class of 1974.

"Sure, I've eaten mayonnaise sandwiches. Was about 1949 when I first tried one. Liked 'em a lot, and ate them often after that. Still, you might cut Alison and Will some slack and allow them 'Miracle Whip' or 'light mayo.' Even an old dog can learn new tricks." - Ernest Quinn, Athens.

"Well, I do know that a bunch of people eat mayo sandwiches. I've heard them talk about it. Some even put onions with the bread and mayo!" - Liz Grubbs Richardson, Cartersville.

It turns out not all mayo sandwich eaters are from the South - witness this true believer:

"Not only was this a Southern delicacy, we northern boys also ate mayo sandwiches. Try this one on your doubting kids - whipped cream sandwiches. Haven't lived 'til you've tried that one." - Randy Ekern, Wisconsin.

And it turns out that some of ya'll eat pretty exotic type sandwiches and were nice enough to tell me about them. Witness these quotes:

"I was known to eat mustard and ketchup sandwiches as a child." - Chris Johnson, Columbus.

"If your kids don't like mayo, butter sandwiches are pretty good." - Lynne Veazey, Sparta.

"...when I lived in Malta as a child, the Maltese used to take a thick slab of peasant bread, smear it with olive oil, and then rub an open-sliced tomato over it - yummy!" - Kay Taylor Parker, California.

When all is said and done, this quote from my good South Carolinian friend Bill Bowen sums it up well,

"I love mayo sandwiches and your articles (your fifty bucks is in the mail, Bill). Now, after this, let your kids try brains and eggs for breakfast."

And there you have it. Clear, conclusive proof that mayo sandwiches are a time honored Southern tradition. With that being fully established, it's now time for me to tell ya'll about Alison and Will's experiences with their first mayo sandwich. From an overall standpoint, it didn't go too badly. I ended up making them one, and they each took a bite apiece out of it. Alison was horrified, and made faces like I'd just asked her to french kiss a roll of paper towels. Will, on the other hand, seemed to tolerate it pretty well. Actually, I think he liked it and would've eaten more, but peer pressure from his sister held him back. I enjoyed both their reactions - it exposed them to a little chunk of my past life, a little chunk of living in the deep South, actually a little chunk of being a true Southerner, and they're none the worse for wear for it. Ed Sr. and Miss Lily would be proud.

I guess for now I shouldn't press my luck, give 'em both a biscuit, tell 'em to dig a hole in the middle of it with their finger, fill it up with syrup, and eat it, huh?