The Music Truck

When my eldest was a toddler, we lived in the city and I was very strict as to his sugar intake. Cookies, candy and ice cream were limited items on the menu. When the summer of 1981 came, the ice cream trucks were out in full force. I did not want Theo to constantly beg me for ice cream every day that he heard the music -- a 2 year old can be pretty sharp that way. So I lied. I told him that the truck was driven by a very nice man who drove around the neighborhood bringing delight to everyone through music. All summer I would say "Oh listen, Theo, isn't that the music truck?" He would run to the front door in delight at the first sound of the music truck. I was relieved that I didn't have a battle but that my son was able to just enjoy the music.

The next summer we were in rural Wisconsin at a dual parish and there was no such thing as an ice cream truck. When Theo was 5, we moved back to Cleveland but ended up on a deadend street -- a street no enterprising ice cream truck driver would bother with! Eventually we ended up in our Parma suburb which outlawed ice cream trucks. You know the scenario, the government knows what's best for us so they legislate protection. Several years ago, the law was changed and ice cream trucks were once again allowed to pander their products to the next generation of children.

Here is a grandfather's delight: