Sweet Memories

It is pretty much a universal childhood experience to ask your parents for candy in line at check out and be met with disappointment when they tell you to put it back. On certain occasions, however, I would get lucky and one of my parents (usually my dad) would say yes! I loved Push Pops, Pop Rocks, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Gummy Worms, Jolly Ranchers, and Kit Kats to name a few.

Many of us have fond memories from the past associated with candy or other sweet treats. I assume this is because it was how we were rewarded and often bribed. When you went to the doctors, you got a lollipop. When you got dressed up, rang someone's doorbell and said Trick or Treat, you got a handful of sweet stuff.

I even remember when my dad would go to the gas station he would come out with Tootsie Rolls for my brother and me. For that reason I actually associate the smell of gasoline with Tootsie Rolls. I also loved visiting my grandmother at work, even more so because she kept a jar of Jolly Rancher's on her desk.

Looking back, sugar was our drug of choice and there is little we wouldn't do to access it. Perhaps one of the most elusive candies to get our hands on were those strawberry ones that seemed to come out of nowhere.