Many of us experience periods in life where Change sticks its finger in our chest and prods us into new and sometimes uncomfortable territory. Despite potential discomfort or lack of familiarity with the Change, great things can result. New pleasures, habits and beliefs can all be wonderful byproducts of the new dispensation.

For years I have gone to bed or to the breakfast table with the distinctive minty taste of Crest toothpaste tingling my gums and tongue. The shape of the cap, the consistency of the paste, even the graphics on the tube had all become deeply engrained in the part of my psyche having to do with hygiene. Alas, once enlightened the wise must never look back to baser things; and it is with that in mind that I bid adieu to Crest toothpaste forever.

I’ve moved on to foamy euphoria, and the new recipient of my toothpaste allegiance is Aquafresh. Foamier, mintier, and with a weirder looking cap, it exercises its refreshing superiority with a clean and gently-whitening vengeance.