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“Just Thinking"
I have made a conscious effort, while writing my Just Thinking pieces, to steer clear of religion and politics. Both topics are important, but they also tend to generate strong opinions and passionate discussions. I'd rather focus on subjects that bring back memories, spark a smile, or give us something we can all relate to.
Another rule I try to follow is avoiding the temptation to sound like a grumpy old man reminiscing about the "good old days." You know the routine: Back in my day, we walked to school uphill both ways, in the snow, without a jacket, you kids have it easy. But I had and experience the other day that is forcing me to play the OMC (Old Man Card).
Stopping at a liquor store the other day, I picked up a Milky Way and a Diet Pepsi. Yes, I realize that ordering a Diet Pepsi with a candy bar is about as logical as going to McDonald's, ordering two Big Macs and a large order of fries, and then congratulating yourself for choosing a Diet Coke. But that's not the point of this rant. The point is that my Milky Way and Diet Pepsi cost me five bucks.
I think what really pissed me off was that I paid for my purchase without even thinking about it. It wasn't until later that it hit me, I thought, What the heck I just paid five dollars for a Milky Way and a Diet Pepsi?
I can remember when a candy bar cost a quarter and a soda was fifty cents. You could walk into a store with a dollar bill, buy yourself a drink and a snack, and still get change back. Not a penny or two, either, you had enough change to plug a parking meter for a couple of hours.
Thinking about penny candy, nickel candy bars, and dime-store treats got me reminiscing about some of the great candies from days gone by.
Back then, a penny actually had buying power. You could walk into the local market with a handful of change and come out with your pockets full of candy treasures. Behind the counter were rows of glass jars filled with Mary Janes, Bit-O-Honey, Root Beer Barrels, Bazooka Bubble Gum, Candy Buttons, and Atomic Fireballs. A quarter could buy enough candy to last an entire afternoon, and if you were lucky enough to find a discarded soda bottle and return it for the deposit, you hit the candy jackpot.
The candy selections were so fun back then, there were Candy Cigarettes that made every kid feel grown up, Wax Lips that you could wear, then chew for hours, little Wax Bottles filled with brightly colored syrup, you would bite the top off, drink the juice the chew the bottle. There were Lemon Drops, Jawbreakers, Necco Wafers, Boston Baked Beans, Red Hots, Jujubes, Good & Plenty, Tootsie Rolls, Tootsie Pops, Smarties, Pixy Stix, Chick-O-Sticks, Black Crows, Licorice Whips, Bubble Gum Cigars, and Candy Necklaces. Half the fun was deciding what to spend your pennies on.
Then there were the candy bars. Classics such as Abba-Zaba, Idaho Spud, Look!, Big Hunk, Charleston Chew, Oh Henry!, Chunky, Zagnut, and PowerHouse that were in every store. We all had favorites and would have debates over which candy bar was the best.
While I was waxing nostalgically about penny candy and nickel candy bars, I also started thinking about how good Mother's Cookies were. Around our house, a package of Taffy Sandwich Cookies didn't last long. There were also Peanut Butter Gauchos, sugar cookies, and those frosted pink and white Circus Animal Cookies. My favorite after school snack was the frosted oatmeal cookies with a glass of milk.
Then there were the snack treats, Twinkies, Ding Dongs, Ho Hos, Chocolate CupCakes, Orange CupCakes, Suzy Q's, Sno Balls, Zingers and Fruit Pies. Lil’ Debbie cakes and of course Pop Tarts, which would scald your mouth when eaten fresh from the toaster.
My final thought is the Wright's Pink Popcorn Bar, it was a sweet, pink candy-coated popcorn treat pressed together into a rectangular bar and wrapped in clear cellophane.
Well, that’s me playing my OMC this week, prompted by a five-dollar purchase of a candy bar and a soda.
Let me know what you think.
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