For a few moments, let’s pretend.

However, before our pretending begins, let’s talk about Stop, Look and Listen. I expect we all know what that means, right? I hope so!

At a recent conference in Marshall, the assembly was urged to talk, listen and learn. That makes sense to me. What if…we turn Stop, Look and Listen into Stop, Look, Listen and Learn?

Throughout our lives, that’s exactly what we do – time after time. We may not realize that sequence so let’s refresh our memories about learning to drive.

Do you recall during your driver’s training the times you came to a railroad crossing and the admonition was to: ‘Stop, Look and Listen?” Some of us even had that pounded into our heads at every stop sign. Others of us will recall our parents telling us that before we crossed a street on foot.

Why is it so dang important? Naturally, I don’t have to remind any of us because the words are for our own safety and the safety of others. We should always “stop” to help others, “look” to see who needs help and “listen” to what’s going on in the area.

So, where does learn come into play? Maybe because those three words direct our minds to learning. Could you learn if you didn’t do any of those three words? Maybe, maybe not, but let’s pretend…

Let’s pretend you’re going down the aisle in the wine shop – not sure what you wish to buy and you’re just browsing. Then, it happens!

A bottle of wine catches your attention. More correctly the label catches your attention. You stop! Hmmm, that bottle looks interesting so I’ll take it off the shelf and look at it for a minute.

Let’s say the bottle’s label has a nice golden crest on it and a catchy name. It’s a bottle of Cavazza Pinot Grigio. Is that an Italian wine? Let’s read the label and see what it says to me. Under the Pinot Grigio printing are the words Delle Venezie – DOC. Huh? You turn the bottle over and the back label seems to be in…Italian!

This isn’t going well for you but something keeps calling to you and you continue. You listen to yourself try to read the Italian words and began to smile at your “correct” pronunciation of all the words. Curiously, you kind of know what the words say to you – then, you notice half of the label is in English and you compare what you thought was being said in Italian to the English version. You were right on and you learned some new words and you can’t wait to taste the wine.

Going home with a bottle in hand, you twist off the cap and listen to the wine gurgle into your glass. You smell the wonderful apple-lemony aroma. Soon the wine is flowing over your taste buds and you, once again, smile at its crisp and mild acidic taste.

Golly, you just stopped, looked, listened and learned something about a wine.

But, let’s pretend the next time you’re in the wine shop, you need a sweeter wine. Walking through the aisle, another very pleasant label catches your eye.

It’s a bottle of Chateau Ste Michelle Riesling. Once again, you take the bottle off the shelf and began to look at it. Hey, it’s from the Columbia Valley in Washington state – hmmm, where’s that? Well, the wine is medium sweet and it just may fit your needs and it walks home with you.

Once home, you hear the pleasant popping of the cork and soon the sweet floral aromas are filling your nose. Then, you listen as it softly nestles into your glass for a taste. Oh, where’s Columbia Valley located?

You get out your map and find it – in the south central part of the state. Enough learning – let’s taste! You enjoy the peachy mineral taste of the wine and you know it’s the perfect fit for you meal.

Isn’t it interesting that in each of these pretending examples, you stopped, looked, listened and learned something?

One last and quick example – I noticed a bottle of Woodbridge Rum Barrel Aged Chardonnay and stopped to read the label. Rum barrel aged? Looking at the label, it was obvious this was something to purchase and we went home together. I enjoyed the sound of the cork coming out of the bottle and loved the rum infused taste of the wine. There’s some light tastes of mango followed by the warm taste of molasses.

What’s not to like and there’s no need to pretend with this wine.

Everyday, we S,L,L and L. Ain’t it great there are so many opportunities to do it?

As always, eat and drink in moderation but laugh with reckless abandon!

Cheers!