One of the benefits of going to the grocery store with my mom was that she would give me a quarter to use in the candy and prize machines. The other benefit was sometimes being able to pick out a box of sugary cereal, but that rarely happened. As I look at this image, I am reminded of how little it took to make this little girl happy. I wasn't much of a candy eater, so I would go directly for the machines with the little plastic prizes. I'll try to remember some of them...a ring with a fake plastic stone was my favorite, plastic figures, a chain, tiny erasers and once in a while a super ball was fun. I felt very lucky on the drive home that I was able to get a tiny toy on that day with just a quarter. (I think the the dime and nickel machines had the candies).
There were no devices to be on after family dinners. It was person to person contact instead of social media. The kids on the court I grew up on would meet up for our nightly game of hide and seek. The street lamp would go off and into our homes we went. I had barbies, color books, binder paper and pencils to keep me busy and my boy neighbors had their legos and chess game. They would also build their own high tech kites. They were huge! When we got a little older, we could ride our bikes to 7-11 for slurpees. Can anyone out there relate to this? Haha.
Today, our world is different for children because it just is. Time marches on and things change. I'm grateful I can look back and remember those simple days of putting my shiny quarter into the machine and that exhilarating feeling of twisting that lever...click, click, click and out came my prize in the plastic egg shaped container.
"What did I get!"
Am not sure if anything can we actually brought for the kids with a quarter nowadays.. I think those were simple days! these days the demands of kids, and also the luxurys the parents provide at the drop of a hat r too many!
ReplyDeleteDropping by from a to z "The Pensive"
I meant can be**
ReplyDeleteSounds a bit like my childhood, except we wouldn't spend a quarter in the sweet shop, we would ask for a quarter of sweets.
ReplyDeleteVisiting from Facing The Mountain
Sounds like you had a magical childhood :-)
ReplyDeleteRonel visiting for the A-Z Challenge My Languishing TBR: Q
I can relate. For many years as a kid my weekly allowance was a quarter. Back then a quarter could go a long ways compared to now. I'd usually spend my money on candy or new additions to my stamp collection.
ReplyDeleteArlee Bird
Tossing It Out
Ah! This takes me back to my life, when things were so much simpler and colorful :)
ReplyDeleteIt strikes me that it was appreciating and enjoying what you had.
ReplyDeletehttps://cassmobfamilyhistory.com