A few days ago I was biting into one of those wonderful little Biscoff cookies that I first discovered as a Delta Airlines treat and thought about how perfect it was. Crunchy but not hard. Just PERFECT.

Food junky that I am, my thoughts went to other textured foods. Last year my cousin Jeff turned me on to Zaxby’s chicken fingers. First “finger” wasn’t so great, but the second one … ah … the perfect layer of crumbly crunch — almost panko level — right before I was able to sink into the moist, tender chicken.

I’m originally from Steubenville, Ohio, home of DiCarlo’s Pizza (don’t even TRY to tell someone from the Ohio Valley that it’s not the best pizza ever). I could do 1,000 words on why I love it so, but right now, it’s all about the crust. You get both the crunch and the soft at the SAME TIME and it’s never too hard or too mushy.

So all morning I’ve been thinking about the crusty but still soft paradox. And this is what it made me realize:

It’s also the way I’d describe some of my favorite people. And THAT’S what I wanted to tell you.