i used to chew gum a lot. and i mean A LOT. i chewed gum every day. i always had gum on me. i chewed it to freshen breath. i chewed it to do something. i chewed it just to chew it. when i was a kid i would chew the big hunks of gum and blow huge bubbles, even bubbles within bubbles. the kid with a bubble bigger than her head? the kid that would smack, pop, and annoy you in general with all their gum chewing? yep, that was me. i would even put my used gum in the fridge and chew it again later. it would turn hard and crack and was terrible to chew but i would do it.

i've chewed just about every flavor available. from white sticks to black sticks. from pomegranate flavor to gingseng flavor. i've chewed gum from various countries. i've chewed gum that came inside of a candy and gum that was shaped like chewing tabacco. when i lived in japan, there was even a gum called "no time". it was for when you had no time to brush your teeth and yes i chewed that too.

as i got older, i didn't put it in the fridge and the kind of gum i chewed changed. it became smaller pieces and more about making your mouth feel clean rather than blowing bubbles. even after i became vegan, i still kept chewing gum. slowly i changed brands to ensure that my gum was vegan as well. though i've never made my own gum, chewing it right off the tree or something that i think my mom and paternal grandfather used to do. that's probably the one gum i haven't tried.

so it's quite amazing that after all these years, i find myself no longer habitually chewing gum. in fact, i don't carry gum anymore and i don't buy it anymore. it's very rare indeed if i chew it at all. i didn't chose to quit, it just happened. i just don't feel the need. i still feel like my breath needs freshening but i tend to drink a lot of water now or sometimes i even brush my teeth instead of chewing gum. i don't carry a toothbrush with me but i do have a brush and paste that i keep in my desk at work. a couple years ago when i was still deep in my gum chewing habits, i experimented with other ways of keeping my breath fresh, such as chewing mint leaves and carrying mouthwash. brushing with toothpaste is far better. maybe i'll become one of those old ladies that do carry a toothbrush wherever they go.