I can't lie; I don't like pie

I fear there's something wrong with me. I've been told this many times, always after telling someone I don't like pie.

The looks I get, the shame I feel. Is there something wrong with me? Am I the only person who doesn't like pie? Sometimes it feels like it.

When someone asks what my favorite kind of pie is, I usually say cheesecake. It's round and often looks like a pie at first glance. If this response doesn't satisfy someone, if they say, "cheesecake isn't pie," I have to tell the person I don't like pie. I dread the response.

"You don't like pie?" the person asks. "How can you not like pie?"

"I don't know," I say, sheepishly. "I just don't like it."

"What's wrong with you?"

I've had that same exchange of words, or something very much like it, many times.

I've choked down slices of pie before. And some of the pies haven't been terrible. But, if given the choice, I'll usually pass on pie.

My husband Curt and I recently bought a pumpkin pie from a store in town and we each ate a slice for dessert on a Sunday afternoon. I thought I should try a slice. It's the season for pumpkin pie, after all. So, I ate one slice, or I should say part of one. Really, I just ate some of the filling, leaving the crust.

Curt had to leave town for a few days, so I sent the majority of the pie with him. He's the one who really likes pumpkin pie. I kept a slice for myself, thinking I might have the urge to eat it in the next few days. But I should have known better. I ended up throwing the slice of pie away because I thought it was going bad.

When Curt returned, I had to tell him what I had done. I threw away a slice of precious pumpkin pie. Next time, I'll make sure Curt gets all the slices of pie.

This Thanksgiving I'm hopeful I won't have to eat any pie. Curt and I are traveling to Arden Hills to have Thanksgiving dinner at his Godmother's house. I have offered to bring a dessert that's not a pie.

I came across a cream cheese frosting-filled pumpkin cupcake recipe. This seems much more tasty than pumpkin pie, apple pie, pecan pie or any other pie I can think of.

We're bringing a pumpkin pie in addition to the pumpkin cupcakes. The pumpkin pie is for Curt, though. This way, he won't have to worry about someone else not having enough pie.

He really likes pie. I'm surprised he wanted to marry me, knowing that I don't like pie. His sister, Christine, really likes pie too.

I'm reminded of a story I've heard many times about a pie-eating contest between the two. Each one ate seven slices of pie. I feel sick just thinking about it. And it's not the massive amount of food that makes me feel sick to my stomach. I could put away seven cupcakes any day. It's just that they ate seven slices of PIE!

Now, I'm a fairly competitive person but I could never participate in a pie-eating contest. Cupcakes are my dessert of choice. Maybe this year, we can have a cupcake-eating contest. Or, maybe I can participate in the pie-eating contest and substitute cupcakes. That sounds like a contest I could live with.