Shells, Rinds, and Peels Need Love Too

and check things again. We, I hate to burst your bubble, to let you in on a valuable secret. A bit of information consisting of few words, but oh how fatal they are. To the highly-intellectual or even the person who loves things the way that they are, looking at the peels of plantains, shells of peanuts, or watermelon rinds, may look bland, mute, and somewhat cold to the human heart due to the shells not being able to interact with human society, and while that fact is very sad and heart-breaking, there is not a thing that you or I can do to remedy this fact of Nature.

When God, The Creator, began to create things on land, sea, and air, He left nothing undone. To the smallest microbe to the humongous African bull elephants were made by Him. Yes. He is to take the credit not only for creating every sect of wildlife, but the land itself—every rock, grain of sand, and cloud in the sky. Yes . . .even the Shells of the delicious plantains, watermelon rinds and peanut shells. I have eaten a few tons of these things over the years and I am very sad to confess: I never considered the shells, rinds, or peelings, but what was inside. I feel so much like a dirty heel.

Let me elaborate. I would just take a handful of tasty peanuts and crack-open each nut, toss it into my mouth, chew it up with my then-good teeth and swallow the nutritious fabric and then start over the process. Even like eating plantains. To say nothing about eating a half of a watermelon, then disposing the rind into the nearest dumpster. And all of these protective hulls, peelings, and rinds were all screaming with their cute little voices, “Haaalllpppp! Pleeeasseeee, mister! Help us!” I didn’t listen. And I guess that I am paying for these negligent acts by dealing with various health issues—fibromyalgia, heart problems, and finally, a few strokes to round-out the game. Point: ignoring or abusing the fragile balance of Nature can be almost-deadly.

the shells, rinds, and peelings do? They could form an open-protest by refusing to sit still in their various locations in the grocery store and when they see a customer approaching, they could quickly hide behind those big cantaloupes until the danger is gone.

Or, the shells, rinds, and peelings could play dead (like the possum) when a hungry Vegan storms the Produce Section and finds that the peanut shells, watermelon rinds, and the plantain peelings are turned brown and not looking so healthy, can cause the most-devout Vegan’s stomach to turn. Well, at least these three foods have been spared.

And that is my point. Sparing is not the overall objective. It is not enough to just save the shells, rinds, and peels, there are a lot more things that peels, shells, and rinds can be trained to do and that way, feel more accepted into mainstream society and thus, we of the Society of Mankind could be happier with their newly-formed after-lives. Right now, when a hungry person tosses one or all three of the foods that I have talked about here, there is not value in the discarded shells, rinds, and peelings.

It really is a shameful time in the peanut’s, plantain’s, and watermelon’s livelihood. To house and protect the sweet and healthy food that is behind their coverings only to be thrown into some nasty dumpster with a dark destiny to be hauled by those diesel-powered trash trucks then to haul them to some desolate land fill to rot into Mother Earth with the rest of Mankind’s Refuse. If I were a shell, rind, or peeling, I would be fighting mad. I would stand with my two allies and “not go gently into that dark mouth,” of the lovers of these three foods. These foods deserve more respect.

could make out of the plantain peels, shells, and rinds and then either barter the new products or sell them at he nearest flea market and advertise then new products as “Cute, Cuddly Ex-Peanut Shells! Great to Show at Home!” Or the rinds and peelings could be advertised pretty much in the same way. Acceptance here is what these three food coverings are seeking as well as starving for. No one can help them, but us.

You can take wooden toothpicks and glue them into the peanut shells after small sails are painted with various NFL or College colors and sell them for $5.00 each. What a small price to pay to help forsaken food coverings.

You can also use watermelon rinds as water containers for stray dogs who also do not get any love from humans. And I tell you that if a stray dog is thirsty, they will drink from your Watermelon Rind Drinking Pit and you will be the hit of the neighborhood.

Do not use plantain peelings as a practical joke gag by placing them in high foot traffic areas to just see unassuming citizens fall on their behind’s when stepping on a peel. No. I think that you can drop them into your Compost Area and in enough time, they will be formed into valuable chemicals (with the other discarded things) and you can be proud of the merciful act that you have performed in saving an important piece of nature and our planet.

take a bag or two of shelled-peanuts and put them into cakes, pies, or eaten raw or roasted for parties or for just munching while watching TV.

One can take a watermelon and cut a Watermelon Fruit Boat into the halves. Simply cut the watermelon into halves and then after removing the sweet watermelon food, you can fill the halves with fruit cocktail and any cut or whole fruit into the half and sit it on a serving table for family and friends to enjoy.

As for discarded plantain Peels, (you will be surprised), they can be used for:

• help reduce acne.
• They helping reduce wrinkles.
• Helping to polish your silver.
• They help remove splinters.
• plantain peels are easy composting.
• And can whiten your teeth.

So now that you have read this piece or my “Plea for Plant Coverings,” let’s you and I start right now to do what it takes to give the peels, shells, and rinds a new lease on life. They will appreciate it.

November 29, 2019_____________________________________________