Chew, Chew

Have you ever wondered what exactly is so appealing about gum? What is it that makes people so addicted to it?

I mean, really, if you consider it, all gum is is a piece of soft rubber. It's a piece of rubber you chew on. You can't eat it, you can't derive any nutrition or helpful benefits from it. So why is it so popular?

Sure, it's got great flavors; flavor that eventually disappears. Oh, but we enjoy it while it's here. At the moment, I've got a piece of Juicy Fruit in my mouth and am currently savoring its fruityness. But you know, I can get a piece of fruit and it would taste just as good and possibly even better. And it would kill my hunger.

And then what's the difference between brands? All the brands of gum have the same WinterMint and SweetMint. They all have cinnamon flavored gum. So which one has the better flavor, if they're all the same?

I've even heard that people are able to remember facts better when chewing gum. Is it because they are associating the chewing with this fact? I wonder, I really do.

I wonder what the appeal is to be chewing for a long while on a piece of rubber. Gum. One of the many mysteries of mankind.