Time Travel Taste Trigger

Ever notice how a taste or smell can bring back a memory? I just had a root beer that took me back 52 years.

Jim and Katie Swenson and their kids were our neighbors and friends back in the day. They always thought of fun stuff to do. On Halloween they dressed in spooky costumes to answer the door. They went to a tulip festival and brought back wooden shoes for us! We kids were hooked on dinosuars so the families took a trip to a museum that displayed dinosaur bones.

Jim was a traveling salesman for a large company. He liked to cover his territory in comfort, so he had a big car. That was when big cars were BIG and seat belts weren't around yet. The bench seat in front easily held three adults; 4 small kids and a mom managed to fit in back.

One hot summer night Katie popped over and said, "We need to cool off. Grab the kids. We're going to A&W for root beer! So we piled into Jim's car, kids all in jammies, and drove across town to the root beer stand, singing to the tune of "Froggie Went A-Courtin:"

     Children in pajamas they did go; Uh huh, uh huh!
     Children in pajamas they did go; Uh huh!
     Children in pajamas they did go; To the root beer stand for the midnight show!
     Uh huh, uh huh, uh huh!

     Molly Mouse was the waitress girl; Uh huh, uh huh!
     Molly Mouse was the waitress girl; Uh huh!
     Molly Mouse was the waitress girl; She set Steve Swenson in a whirl!
     Uh huh, uh huh, uh huh!

By then we dissolved into giggles. It was a great time, and a great summer treat.

Take this advice from someone older and wiser. Enjoy those fun, silly moments, and create as many of them as you can. Sadly, the Swensons have passed away, except for Katie, who is still a dear family friend. We don't have any neighbors like the Swensons these days, but I still enjoy memories of the originals when I take a sip of time-travel root beer.

There's a frat song that goes, "In Heaven there is no beer," but it's not quite true. There's root beer, at an A&W drive-in where singing is encouraged. I just hope jammies are in the dress code.