Hi. My name is Libby, and I have a ranch addiction.
“It’s just ranch!!!” my family often finds themselves saying to me. There was a time (more occurrences than I would like to admit) where my mom failed to ask for ranch dressing in the McDonald’s drive thru, and you know what the result was? I threw a fit (at the ripe age of 18) and actually cried…real tears. I know, how embarrassing. “It’s just ranch Libby” she said in response to my dramatic tantrum. But, is it?
Almost every. single. time. that I get food I absolutely must have ranch to go with it. In moments when the thirty year old waitress or the seventeen year old fast food worker forget the ranch I have a hard time giving them grace for forgetting such a minuscule detail (even though I was a waitress for a single summer and often found myself forgetting way more than ranch). I then make it my mission to receive my ranch. I will absolutely hold off on eating and go bug someone who certainly has much more to worry about than me being worried that I got ketchup instead. Sometimes in these situations I become aware that I am being wayyy too ridiculous and need to seriously check myself. But, why do I even do that in the first place? What is the big deal? After all, it is just ranch.
I think that my fascination is not with the actual ranch itself, but rather with getting what I have set my mind on—even if it is such a small thing. This to me, is one very simple thing in life that is so easily attainable. I mean we can all relate that bits of our days, weeks, months, years do not go according to our plans. Grades may drop a little one semester. Relationships may fail and disappear. Stress may feel endless in college with the uncertain future constantly on the horizon. But, if there is one thing I can ensure I will get…ranch. It is so incredibly silly, yet it is the complete truth. I think this is the explanation for why I end up in a tizzy when some meaningless dressing is forgotten or overlooked. This is something that I can grasp control over much easier than most things in life. Therefore, in my opinion, ranch is not JUST ranch. Everyone has their own outlet in the way that ranch may be mine. One thing I think we can all look towards working on (myself most definitely included) is losing control, and more importantly, being okay with it. So, the next time the ranch is forgotten, I am going to be content with my ranch-less food.
Here is to not being able to control every single thing!
It will all work out in it’s very own unique way!