When I was in the seventh grade, Mr. DeHaven, my homeroom teacher, spoke his family's dependence on apples during the Great Depression (the ugly one after the 1929 stock market crash). He said they ate apples prepared in some manner for almost every meal.

It was either that, or they starved. No brainer there. His stark tale has stuck with me over the years. Who'd think the lowly apple was a godsend and could make such a difference in a family's life?

I used to like the Red Delicious brand but something has happened to them. The taste has been bred out maybe. My wife buys several tasty brands. Fuji and Gala are the standouts. Today she bought a type called Bonnie, a yellow-skinned apple. I ate my first one, and I can give a personal testimonial the Bonnie is one fine-eating apple.

I prefer the green-skinned Granny Smiths baked in a pie. Does Mickey's D still sell those hot apple pies? Man, I ate them by the dozen when I worked the grill there. Apple butter is a favorite spread for making sandwiches. Apple crisp is a fine dish. Apple cider is good, but I'm not as crazy about it nowadays. I'm more of a coffee drinker.

What do apples have to do with writing and reading? They're easy to munch on while at work. So I just had to give apples a big shoutout in Cracked Rearview Mirror.

By Ed Lynskey
Twitter: @edlynskey
Author of Lake Charles
"A dark and twisted noir tale that starts with a bang and goes in many different ways."
--Blogger/Dallas Morning News