Some sounds one never forgets. Some responses to those sounds never change.
During this past weekend, as I watched the Olympic Games on television, I heard a sound that took me back to my boyhood days. It was a sound I hadn’t heard in a long time. It was the musical sound coming from an ice-cream truck.
Naturally, the first thing I did was dig in my pocket, searching for dollar bills. Fifty years ago I would have been searching for quarters, but that’s inflation and 50 years for you. I didn’t have to ask an adult for money. These days, I have my own money. Because it’s my money, I can spend it on whatever I want.
I opened the front door, walked to the street and yelled for the ice-cream truck to stop. That’s right; I yelled. That’s the way we did it 50 years ago, and yelling still works today.
My dilemma that day and 50 years ago: what to buy. Popsicles are flavorful and cooling, but they are not too exciting. Fudge bars are creamy, cooling and tasty. They can be a bit messy, especially during a summer in eastern North Carolina. I could have gotten a strawberry-shortcake concoction, but that’s too much of a girly treat for me. Several cone options like the Nutty Buddy came to mind, but they melted away (pun intended).
Then, I saw them. My mind was made up. My mouth watered in anticipation. My hard-earned money would buy … wait for it … orange push-ups. You know, the push-up made with orange juice, cream, milk, water, sugar, corn syrup, coloring and beet juice (and a few other ingredients). The tasty part is in a cardboard cylinder, which was covered with colorful polka dots. At one end is a stick. As you eat the push-up, you use the stick to push the tasty part up through the cylinder.
I’ve never met anyone who did not like orange push-ups. If I did, I don’t believe I could trust such a person.
I bought three push-ups, one each for me, myself and I. All of us were happy.
I won’t begrudge rainbow push-ups to those who like them, but I guess I am a push-up purist who will only enjoy orange push-ups. Imagine my delight when I found out orange push-ups come in a 32-count box. That’s a push-up a day for a month, with a few leftovers, especially in February.
Well, pardon me while I do a few pushups.
Mike Voss covers the city of Washington for the Washington Daily News. When orange push-ups are not available, a Creamsicle will serve as a good substitute.