The last supper

Earlier this week the State of Maryland finally carried through with the execution of Wesley Baker, the man convicted of gunning down teacher Jane Tyson in front of her two young grandchildren in a mall parking lot. Baker became the fifth man put to death in Maryland since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976.

As with all state-sponsored executions (as opposed to the brutal and untimely execution of Ms. Tyson), the condemned is entitled to select a final meal. The Baltimore Sun reported that Baker's last meal consisted of breaded fish, pasta marinara, green beans, orange fruit punch, bread and milk.

I'm okay with the pasta. I'm not a big fan of fish but to each to his own. My problem comes with the green beans. When you've only got a few hours left on this earth, are calories and cholesterol really your top priority?

If I get to pick a last meal, there won't be any vegetables in site. There would, however, be something with cheese. It might be pizza or it might be a really good grilled cheese sandwich. Maybe a nice cheeseburger. French fries are also in order. And forget the Diet Coke. I'm drinking regular Coke this time. And keep the refills coming.

In fact, I don't know if I'd even want to bother with the whole meal part of things. I may just want to go straight for dessert. With my luck, I'd finish up my entree and not have any room left for dessert. How could my final meal not include chocolate of some sort? Even (or perhaps, especially) a dying soul has priorities. You know what? Let's just go with the chocolate buffet.

I invite you to ponder your last meal. What would you choose? Are you a green beans kinda person or would you prefer to join me in stuffing my face with a Cinnabon?