Do you remember playing outside with your friends on hot summer days and hearing that ice cream truck jingle? Making a mad dash inside to get a dollar from your parents and back outside before the little cart disappeared forever?! I do! I always bought which ever ice cream bar had the most gumballs attached to it. Oh the good ol' days, right?
I was reminded of those days while I was playing with my two children yesterday. It was the first time they had ever heard that old faithful jingle. It caught their interest right away! Its like that noise is embedded in our brains, passed down to our children so that even if they've never heard, "oh where, oh where has my little dog gone." played in a music box melody, they automatically know its something their going to want! I was actually excited when I hear the ice cream truck, I was guessing it was on the block behind us. Judging by the muffled music I had about 7 minutes to gather up some money and wait. And wait is what we did! "Don't worry." I'd tell my kids. "It's almost here!!! Allmoooooossttt........Heeerrrreee." Forty minutes later a gold utility van pulls up in front of our house. At first this is what I saw.
It really threw me for a loop. I'm an adult woman, and unless there were other people around, I don't think Id ever approach such van by my self. let alone allow my child to without an adult present!
This is about what the van looked like, Only instead of the driver handing out the ice cream it was a sweat shop of 6 year olds running the back.How did the Ice Cream man fall so far? How did they go from everybody's best friend to looking like creepy child nappers? It really makes me so sad because I want my children to have that memory of waiting and being excited to pick out the ice cream bar, the kind that you cant buy in any store!
I know that somewhere in Simple Town USA there is still someones grandpa who goes around the neighborhood sell ice cream in a clean friendly manner! But until that grandpa decides to move here, my husband and I have agreed that we will recreate that memory with our children by taking them to Dairy Queen and buying them Dilly bars! So today we mourn the loss of our childhood hero, Ice Cream Man you will be greatly missed! And parents, Please, PLEASE go out with your kids when a stranger is trying to sell them things. Even if it is just ice cream. Better to be safe, than sorry.♥
Ok just a quick note. I know not all ice cream trucks/vans are creepy. Some can be very cute! So I place a call to all the cute little ice cream trucks out there! There are lots of children in our neighborhood that are looking for a hero! I'd like to see a duel between the creepy van and the cute little truck! Good always conquers evil!♥
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