In second grade I used to eat with all my friends. We had a ritual of showing off what we had and trading items. …
In second grade I used to eat with all my friends. We had a ritual of showing off what we had and trading items. All through elementary school I thought my dad was the smartest guy in the world, and just knew anything and everything. My mom was the one who usually packed my lunch, but there was one day my dad packed it, so I didn’t think anything of it because I figured he knew what he was doing… Well on that fateful day I opened it up to discover that he had packed me garlic bread, and that was pretty much it… I was mortified! I quickly became the laughing stock of the second grade, which by the way isn’t hard to become and fortunately kids forget what happens in second grade by the next week. So I wasn’t particularly upset with my dad. I knew it was because he was in a rush, and my brother had just been born. There wasn’t much time to put thought into packing me sandwich or something that would give me a little more cred at recess. Being the independent-minded 7 year old, I took matters into my own hands.
I got more organized. I would plan my outfits for the day ahead of time, wake up early, pack my own lunch, hop on my bike, and go to school. On the weekends I started going shopping with my mom, and to up my cred I talked her into buying me lunchables. I explained to her that we could just buy 4-5 packs a week, and a 6-pack of Hi-C, nothing else! The kids all thought my parents were the coolest because they let me eat lunchables, and my parents thought I was being so independent and resourceful. All I wanted was to take the focus off of my lunch at the table, gain some independence from my parents, and eat food that tasted good!
