Bright Works Press

Home of Oregon mystery writer Rod Collins

  • Fiction Books
    • Bitter’s Run
    • Abiqua
    • Spider Silk
    • Stone Fly
    • Bloodstone
    • Mariah’s Song
    • Not Before Midnight
  • Non-fiction
    • What Do I Do When I Get There? A New Manager’s Guidebook
    • Rogue River Diaries
  • About Rod
    • Contact Rod
  • Blog
  • Contact Rod
  • Fiction Books
    • Bitter’s Run
    • Abiqua
    • Spider Silk
    • Stone Fly
    • Bloodstone
    • Mariah’s Song
    • Not Before Midnight
  • Non-fiction
    • What Do I Do When I Get There? A New Manager’s Guidebook
    • Rogue River Diaries
  • About Rod
    • Contact Rod
  • Blog
  • Contact Rod
You are here: Home / Whimsy / The Last Cookie

The Last Cookie

4 Comments

There seems to be something in the human psyche that makes each of us reluctant to eat the last cookie on the plate, especially if the cookie is part of a communal ritual. If a dozen cookies are on the plate and if a group of people are invited to “have a cookie,” no one is reluctant to eat the first one. But the last one might lie there until it turns stale. I have no idea why.

I tested my hypothesis over and over again during a year of my teaching career at Weiser High School. I came to depend on the last cookie, or the last piece of cake to sit in the teacher’s break room and wait for me until my afternoon prep period. The last cookie was always there. And I was grateful for the nice teacher who brought cookies most days.

At first I was reluctant to break the communal taboo. There was something almost sacred about the last cookie, but I finally decided I had enough strength of character to eat. If it was a sugar cookie, I’d dunk it in my coffee and enjoy.

Rod

Filed Under: Whimsy

Comments

  1. Don Sturgill says

    March 19, 2021 at 5:04 pm

    Love it, Rod. How you doing?

    Reply
    • Rod Collins says

      April 26, 2021 at 12:22 am

      Glad to find someone reading my nonsense. Thanks. Doing fine.

      Reply
  2. Deb says

    September 9, 2021 at 2:25 pm

    They won’t buy the last basket of fruit either. I worked at a fruit stand and when the last basket of yellow delicious apples wouldn’t sell my boss put it in the middle of the red delicious and it sold quickly. Perhaps we should surround it the last cookie with brownies.????????

    Reply
    • Rod Collins says

      February 22, 2022 at 4:06 am

      That’s interesting. Maybe there is something to the last cookie syndrome. Sometimes I just like to sit and watch people interact with the world.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Copyright © 2025 · Author Pro Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in