I was walking through the UT University Center a couple weeks back and I happened to go past the candy counter. One look at the counter and I’m immediately transported back in time.
The UC candy counter is very nice and I suppose I probably made some purchases there during my college days but my sensory time travel went back past adolescence and early adulthood.
I’m talking old school. I’m talking 1970s…or earlier.
I’m talking about the candy counter at Sears. I don’t recall gummy worms at the Sears counter.
My dad was always a Sears guy. He worked at Sears in college and, as I told you a few weeks ago when I wrote about lawn mowers, we always had Sears tools and equipment. A trip to the Sears store to purchase an appliance or tool often meant a quick trip by the candy counter (which was always conveniently tucked in by an escalator).
As you rode down from the upper floor to a lower, you got a nice glimpse of all those neatly arranged confections - chocolate stars, orange slices, malted milk balls - anything you can imagine - you name it. Shoppers were also treated to the aroma of candies and warm cashews wafting by. I’m sure this arrangement was true at other big stores as well - Macy’s, Nordstrom, etc. But Sears is the place where my memories were made.
Dad would frequently buy a small bag of cashews and we’d enjoy a few of them on the spot (and some others on the ride home).
Talk about a tasty treat.
I have always been a big fan of white chocolate (which Lisa says really isn’t chocolate at all! Of course, this comes from someone who loves the really REALLY dark chocolates) and, on some occasion, I might save up a buck or two so I could purchase a couple chunks of the good stuff on a Sears trip.
Those were some glorious times.
Of course, department stores have changed a lot over the years as they’ve struggled to survive during the internet shopping era. In the old days, folks would dress up for a big outing to the department store of their own choosing. Now, it’s just breeze in/breeze out (if you even care to venture to the mall).
More likely, you found what you wanted/needed online.
So, the quaint, vintage candy counter has gone the way of many other enterprises of yesteryear. And maybe that’s not such a bad thing.
Still…back in the day…a trip to the candy counter for a little shaver was a big deal!
JG
No comments:
Post a Comment