Everyone has had that moment where they tried the healthy cookies. You know, the cookies that cost two or three times as much as the Oreos.
It's okay, we tell ourselves. This is an investment in our health.
There are two problems, though. First, the healthy cookies rarely taste as good. And second, they aren't actually healthy.
"Healthy cookie" is an oxymoron. The proper term should be "less unhealthy cookie."
Salads are healthy. You can eat those day in and day out, and you will never have to be sorry.
The same cannot be said of the cookie. There is no cookie you can indulge in day after day that will make you feel good, build your physique and give you energy.
But it sure feels good to say "healthy cookie," doesn't it?
What other healthy cookies do we have in our lives? When it comes to music and education, a few come to mind.
Taking the summer completely off of lessons because breaks are healthy.
Taking a break from lessons because the transition into middle school is difficult and we don't want to get overwhelmed.
Throwing out all traditional music to focus only on the "fun music" before the proper skills have been built up.
These feel like good choices. In some cases, they may in fact be the best choice. But, in most circumstances, like the healthy cookie, there is a price to be paid in the end.
Before you indulge in the literal or metaphorical healthy cookie, check the box. Do your research. And then, ask yourself...
Is it really the healthy choice?