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Sour

Sour candy makes me think of being a kid. We used to dare each other to see who could sustain the sour candy in their mouth the longest. It was a test of bravery and daring. Could you handle a warhead or only sour gummy worms? Would you make that fish face or manage to keep a pasted on, sly expression? Yes, sour candy was the test of coolness that we all hoped to pass.

I was never very good at it though. Sure it was funny to watch people make faces and spit out the candy when they just couldn’t take it anymore, but really there was so much better candy. Why would I try to prove myself by doing something I didn’t like? Wouldn’t it be better to prove myself by doing something I did?

I liked to think that I proved myself by being one of the best people on the tire swings. Now, this not only meant knowing that it was smartest to run for the farther and more prickly tire swing as it ensured that you got a tire swing at all, but I was also very good at making them spin fast. Some kids would just try to push it over their heads or would grab ahold of one of the cool, smooth chains and just run in a circle to make it spin. But not me. No, I had the best method and could get the tire swing to spin the fastest. I would grab two of the chains, one in each hand, pull my arms across my body almost as though I was going to fire a bow, and then rip them clockwise with as much strength as my little child body could muster. My friends would go spinning, their heads pulled back in laughter and by the force of the spin. One time I remember I spun it so hard that my friend’s gum came clean out of their mouth. I was very proud that day and smile now to remember that feeling that swelled in my chest as I watched Ahmad open his mouth in laughter and have his white gum let go of his teeth and spin out into the air that the tire swing had swirling around it.

Sour candy was not the only candy opportunity that could make you cool. After Halloween there was a massive trading system that we all set up. We knew which pieces of candy were worth more than others. A tootsie roll? Please, everyone had way too many of those (why did adults think we wanted them so much?). But a Reeses, ah now you’re talking. I had the distinct advantage of not liking peanut butter and chocolate combined (I still don’t to this day, it’s vile and you can fight me), but this meant that I was able to trade away all my Reeses for the far superior Kit-Kats.

I guess it’s odd to reflect back on what made me cool as a kid. To be fair, maybe none of this stuff did. Maybe I wasn’t even very cool at any age, but somehow it still makes me smile.

(Prompt by Lisa McInerney)

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