Be The Banana May 14, 2007

On my quest for total enlightenment I have been The Banana. Back in 1999 when no one would take us seriously, ("Why would I want fruit in my office? The staff loves the chocolate-covered espresso beans dipped in caramel"), I decided I had nothing to lose by dressing up as a banana to gain attention. As a matter of fact, nearly the entire FruitGuys staff has been The Banana at one time or another, greeting people on the streets and in muni stations and handing out, well, bananas. The costume is a great ice breaker and, really, what can't you say to a banana? I've been The Banana at my kids' school -- (Note to self: kids under age 6 will actually believe that you are a real banana and possibly try to bite or peel you). I've been The Banana in downtown San Francisco (Additional note to self: adults will occasionally really want to believe that you are a banana and try to bite or peel you). And most recently I've been The Banana in Las Vegas (Extra additional note to self: Elvis impersonators do not like bananas cutting in on their crowd draws and will threaten you with aggressive hip gestures). Last week I was with my friend and fellow banana Beth Lisick in Las Vegas for a trade show. Having some down time, we dressed as The Bananas and talked with folks walking The Strip at night. Outside of the threatening Elvis, highlights included: dancing with a Tom Jones impersonator, doing banana ballet in front of the Belliago's water fountain extravaganza, taking photos with newlyweds, and telling a restaurant hostess who asked if we were dressed as bananas as a joke that, "No, it's more of a lifestyle choice." While this may sound glib, after Vegas I realized that being The Banana IS actually a lifestyle choice.

Being healthy today is difficult -- it's tough to find time to exercise, eat well and not be overly stressed by the hectic schedules of work, life and all things in between (Calgon, where are you?). A few weeks ago we had a meeting at FruitGuys and decided to support companies and employees who want to start walking clubs by providing them with free pedometers to track the miles they are walking. It's a great way to Be The Banana--to make a healthy lifestyle choice in your own way. If you are interested in starting a walking club you can email Erin Giordano (our marketing and event super-banana) at erin@fruitguys.com. We have a few hundred pedometers to start and don't know when they will run (or walk) out. Let us know if we can support you in your quest to Be The Banana!