The Good Humor Man Revisited (Random Thoughts About Food)
I’ve heard it said that as we age our youthful memories remain strong. That’s certainly true for me (even as I struggle to remember what I ate for breakfast).
What did I love to eat as a kid?
Ice cream. Probably like most kids.
And, as you know from a previous blog, I especially loved ice cream from the Good Humor truck. Nothing was better on a summer afternoon than hearing the chimes announcing that the Good Humor man would soon drive past the front of our house on Meadow Valley Terrace. While we have many more conveniences today, a daily delivery of ice cream is not one of them. For the past fifty years, I’ve had to drive to a store for my fix of ice cream. While you can have almost any type of cuisine delivered right to your door, ice cream is typically not included. Would you trust a Grubhub driver to bring you something that could melt en route? Probably not. Thankfully, Daveen has hidden small ice cream cones in the freezer in our garage, so I never have to go without. It’s not as much fun as getting my ice cream from a truck, but Daveen does deliver with a smile.
As you may have concluded from reading my blogs, I seriously enjoy food. When I was five or six I would always accompany my mom to the grocery store, and, for better or worse, she pretty much let me put whatever I wanted into her cart.
Do you remember the good ole days when restaurants served a basket of bread with your meal? I used to devour five or six slices of sour dough, and that was even before ordering a meal. Today most restaurants charge extra for bread, thus demonstrating that not all trends are positive.
Thanks to an 18th Century British nobleman, The 4th Earl of Sandwich (who is credited for inventing it), people started putting meat or cheese between two slices of bread. For the eponymous Earl, it was a way to eat without leaving his seat at the gambling table, and it quickly caught on with the working class and others who didn’t have time to sit down for a full meal.
I’ve probably eaten more sandwiches in my lifetime than anything else. Because who doesn’t love a great sandwich? A Club, a BLT, a Grilled Cheese, and even that comforting staple of childhood, the PB&J. A few years ago, a nutritionist pointed out to me that an open face sandwich saves a lot of calories, and that one tip has helped me maintain a much healthier weight.
But next time you see me, ask me to hum the Good Humor truck tune.
I still remember that as well.
Alan