School Lunches Pt. 1

A universal American experience is the elementary school lunch. A lot of thought and preparation went into slapping bologna on bread back in those days.



I was 99% of the time a kid who bought their lunch. I envied those brown paper bags and Ninja Turtle Lunch box kids, the Bringers. So I did what any anxious kid did, analyzed them out of the corner of my eye so that one day, if I brought a lunch, I could blend in with the brown baggers. But that was a rarity, we were a buy-your-lunch family not a bring-your-lunch family.



Today, I think I'll focus my jealous nostalgia on one aspect of the school lunch experience. The container. I had no choice in my container, just a plastic tray and they only came in one color, tan... or was it faded blue? (Maggie might remember.)



Anyway, the Bringers always had a lot of variety in their lunch container. My favorites were the lunch boxes with coordinated thermoses! Genius! Oh, what I wouldn't have given for one of those. (Of course, I had one but there was never a lunch inside it so it stayed at home.)



The lunch box gave you a chance to declare you allegiance to something too. There was the G.I. Joes, the Ninja Turtles, the A-Team! There were also female equivalents, but since as a 1st grader girls were just a buzz on the periphery of my mind I don't remember them as well. (Like I said, Maggie will probably remember. She's entrusted to keep my memories for me, for example, what's the name of the teacher who had us sing "Texas our Texas" every morning? I don't know but guess who will.) But I digest (ba-dum-ching).



I also remember the fickle winds of fate that blew through the lunch room sometimes. It seemed one semester you had to have Ninja Turtles, then suddenly after Christmas the turtles were lame! Only dweebs still had that kids show. Now you had to have the Power Rangers.



Upon reflection on this topic with Jeffro, he said, "Nothings said maturity like a brown paper bag." I hadn't realized this. I was a Buyer, Jeff was a Bringer. As an outsider, I never realized there was a hierarchy. But its clear to me now. When you finally rose above the petty childish plastic lunch boxes (with awesome matching thermos) you brought the brown paper bag.



But there is nothing like a lunch box! When I got my current employment I bought this lunch box for myself.

I hope to one day have my last meal served in my Last Supper Lunch box.




I guess I have a lot more to say about lunches, like what goes in them so I've added that "Pt. 1" to the title. I'll get back to you after lunch. I'll leave you with my parting bit of angst.

As all of you Bringers opened you boxes and bag I had to carry that tan/blue tray to the table. And everyday somebody had to say: "Hey, nice tray, Trey!" Every single day of my life! It happened a week ago at the Casa Linda Cafeteria! It's a wonder I'm not on top of a bell tower somewhere with a painball gun and a thermos full of chicken and stars taking my revenge on the world.

And now you know the rest of the story... mmmmm, Good day!