Comic, Cream, or Cards

I just couldn't decide. My friend and I walked the mile down to the local store which was next door to the donut shop where they kept the ultimate in food pleasure, the cream puff, a pastry similar to a donut but much fluffier with a fancy design and filled with delicious cream. The walk was not necessarily dangerous but was an adventure for a 7 year old boy who had worked hard that very morning to earn the 50 cents from his Dad.

Every Saturday morning, Mom would wake us up early to help Dad with the latest project, yard work, cleaning the garage, washing the car, or maybe even pouring concrete for a little sidewalk, or putting up a basketball goal, or maybe cleaning out the duck pen (Yes, we owned 2 pet ducks that we eventually had to get rid of due to the incessant quacking. I recall one strange but true event where the ducks drowned, an unusual occurrence for many reasons not the least of which we were in El Paso, and Dad brought them back to life by resuscitating them and pumping the water out of their lungs), or fixing the broken sprinkler head. For our efforts, although meager at best, we would be given our weekly allowance of 50 cents.

So my friend, who lived around the corner and had also spent the morning helping his Dad, and I walked to the store trying to decide how to spend our 50 cents. It was a serious problem for me because I could only afford 2 things but wanted 3. I wanted a comic book, perhaps Spiderman or Superman, or the Green Lantern, or Captain America or maybe Richie Rich or even Archie, and I wanted some more baseball cards to add to my growing collection. I needed to complete the 1967 teams especially the San Francisco Giants with stars like Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, and Juan Marichal, and I was always hoping to get a better picture of Red Sox slugger Carl Yastrzemski. In addition to the baseball cards, which little to my knowledge would become worth thousands of dollars someday, except in my case they were all thrown out in 1972 to make way for my Charlie Rich, Ernie Ford, and Tom Jones records, there was the stick of gum. But, in spite of the excitement of the comic books and the baseball cards, there hovered over both of us the glorious taste of the cream puff.

So the choices were a comic book, baseball cards, or a cream puff. All the way to the store, we discussed what we were going to buy. Somewhere in the recesses of our young minds, we knew that the comic book had much more lasting value than did the baseball cards or the cream puff, but the comic book was falling in third in the battle to decide what to buy. We even considered the old "trade with your friend" concept and share the puff, but that was difficult for a 7 year old and besides who really wants to share a cream puff.

We arrived a little out of breath, our legs hurting from that walk-run that boys use everywhere they go, I suspect I still adopt that system today, and went directly to the store where the same old gentleman, he must have been at least 25, waited for us with a knowing smile on his face. We went immediately to the baseball card exhibit hoping to see a new package we had never seen, but unfortunately, nothing new had arrived during the week. We owned all the cards currently on display. Our momentary sadness was quickly replaced with boyful glee as we realized the difficult decision had been made for us and we didn't even know it!

We hurried to the comic book rack where I bought a new Spiderman comic book and my friend bought a new Richie Rich (incidentally he is now a multi-millionaire, and I still enjoy Spiderman). We paid for our treasures, hurried out of the store, (We were always in a hurry back then. Things have not changed), and ran next door to get a cream puff.

We sat down outside the store to eat and read and enjoy the moment. I looked up when I heard the sound of a car horn, knowing it would be my Dad as he drove by. Funny how he always drove down that road when we were outside eating and reading, and funny how he took care of his errands quickly enough to be home by the time we arrived. Full from a cream puff, full of comic literature, and mostly full of fun and enjoyment, we waved and headed home. Maybe we could get in a game of catch later on. We were able to save a nickel each that day which we realized could add up. Maybe one day we could buy all three--comics, cream puffs, and cards!

Today my choices are: buy a book, eat a steak dinner, or buy some more dollars on my Starbucks card! Have things really changed?