I'm sure everyone has something down deep; something they couldn't possibly be expected to share with another breathing person; something so private and personal that even family and friends are unaware. I used to be embarrassed, even ashamed about my hidden something, but I've learned to accept it. I realized that everyone has problems and you can't let them intimidate you.

My problem lies ... it has to do with ... well, I guess I'll just come right out with it: I love to eat cereal with orange juice. Sure, milk is acceptable if it's the last thing in the refrigerator, but nothing can beat a huge bowl of cereal filled to the rim with 100% pure, not from concentrate, Florida orange juice. Or have you ever experienced the sweet, savory taste of potato chips dipped in chocolate sauce. Of course you haven't! I'm sure you're thinking that my eating habits are disgusting, abnormal and downright unappetizing. But you have to broaden your horizons. You have to try new things. If you don't, you might never conceive of roasting marshmallows and drowning them in catsup. S'mores are out, tomato-mellows are the wave of the future.

You're probably wondering how this classic case of consuming undesirable delicacies could happen to an average kid like me. Well it all started when I was about six. All of the other kids wanted peanut butter and fluff sandwiches for lunch. I wanted my mom to pack me a tunafish sandwich with jalapenos, strawberry jelly and mustard. When they were trading packages of cookies, I was putting pickles in my chocolate pudding.

For years I've struggled with what doctors call D.F.S - otherwise known as the Disgusting Food Syndrome. If you can recognize the symptoms early, you'll have a much easier time dealing with the problem during your teenage years. Symptoms include: putting mustard on foods other than hot dogs, crossing Chinese food and barbecue sauce, and lastly eating Spam anytime.

I used to think I was all alone. But I have met a lot of people with the same problem, and I've come to realize that it's alright to be different and like different things. If anyone convinces you that being different is a disease, then you have been deceived. If you try to change your way of doing things to fit in, then you are compromising your individuality. It's cool to do things a little unconventionally, even if you do put M&M's on your pizza. c