You are probably beginning to think that after my nostalgia over Charlie’s Shake Shop (Click Here to Read) and my horror over a baby cone costume (See That HERE), it may lead you to believe I am somewhat ice cream obsessed. Maybe that is because I was somehow psychologically damaged in connection to ice cream.
When I was in fifth grade, our teacher told us that the main ingredient in McDonald’s softserve ice cream was also the main ingredient in plastic. Nowadays, we know that fast food, but McDonald’s food in particular, is no good for us nutritionally. However, back then we were no less horrified to hear that implied. In fact, the entire class was shocked and thought Mrs. Anderson was lying or being mean to us on the very first day of school, no less. I mean, accusing us of eating plastic was something only our siblings would do and certainly would have never come out of the mouth of an authority figure like a teacher. In fifth grade, also, you were almost in junior high so you thought your teachers were going to treat you a little bit more like grown ups.
Of course, later on, we recapitulated the shocking news and realized that it wasn’t so bad after all. The key ingredient in producing both soft serve ice cream and plastic is………………water.
What a let down that was. Even though there could have been a little bit of relief there, we no longer had one more gross or disgusting thing to hold over or scare our younger siblings with. Certainly, even if it was no longer poisonous or disgusting, it is all mental. As long as we could keep them going for a little while, we could get some satisfaction out of it until we felt just a little bad about pulling their leg. Of course, the other alternative was when they found out for themselves and then we were no longer the older brother or sister who “knew everything” and were knocked off our pedestal until the next time.
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