Sunday, May 4, 2008

a happy/sad story

Do you remember sitting outside in the spring/summer heat with a little table, some cups, a pitcher of lemonade and a sign that said "Lemonade $0.15". I loved having a lemonade stand even though we grew up on the corner of a one way street that got NO traffic and another not so busy street. We would even try to find random junk around our rooms to put out in combination with the lemonade as a little mini sale. I never remember making all that much money but I do remember having a lot of fun with friends getting everything set up and spending the afternoon in excited anticipation every time a car would drive down the street.
Well, I cannot remember the last time I saw kids having a lemonade stand. I sort of thought it was a thing of the past. That parents didn't want their kids out on the street corner talking to strangers and that kids had no need to make a couple bucks in an afternoon anymore, cause what kind of video game would that buy them anyway.
Apparently in Stevens Point, Wisconsin the lemonade stand lives! With the 64 degree, perfectly sunny weather that we had today Samantha and I went for a long walk in our neighborhood and happened upon a lemonade stand. Two young boys with a table, cups, two pitchers and a large sign that read "Lemonade $0.50"; apparently the price has gone up. I just so happened to have 55 cents in the stroller so I went over to the young boys and asked what I could get for my 55 cents. One of the boys proceeded to say "Well, no one is buying the lemonade or kool-aid for 50 cents so we will knock the price down to 25 cents. Would you like a glass?" Not a very good salesmen! I told him I would love a small cup of lemonade and he could take both quarters so they could each have one (I was feeling generous!). In the process of pouring my glass he lost the lid to his pitcher and the whole thing spilled. The other boy yelled "Oh man, now we have to make more! MOM!" and then "And it has ruined our sign. Now people can't read what we are selling" I just thought that was so cute. So I took my cup, said thank you and went on my way.
The sad part.
As I was walking away I put the cup in the stroller, not having taken a sip, and thought to myself I will go a block or so, turn the corner and then dump it out. There was no part of me that had any intention of actually drinking the lemonade. I was thinking, "I don't know where this cup has been, or the condition of the kitchen where that pitcher was kept. Clearly its not safe to drink this lemonade". So that is just what I did, I poured the whole thing out. Is this really what the world has come to or as a new mom have I just become crazy? Do other people drink the lemonade being sold on the side of the street by random young kids? Is that what adults have always done with the lemonade that they bought from me? Is it normal to be that worried about germs and what MIGHT have been on that cup or in that pitcher? As I dumped out the lemonade the joy that I felt by seeing that lemonade stand and by giving those boys my 50 cents was suddenly turned to a bit of sadness for the crazy, paranoid adult that I have become.

Just because no post is complete without a picture of Sam here you go!

A feeding that I can show you!
Our Guard Dog.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

countless cups have been tossed, too dirty, too sweet, always too something, keep spending those quarters though - it is a good lesson.love mom

Jodie Allen said...

i've always taken a sip in front of the kids and told them how amazingly delicious it is, then I usually toss it later.

but you are a paranoid freak of a new mom! :)

haha