I have no idea where the term, "Good Humor Man" came from. More than likely the term was coined because every person who purchased something - i.e. ice cream treats - from the Good Humor Man's truck came away in good humor. The little town where I grew up did not have Good Humor Men driving Good Humor Trucks. We did have an old-fashioned drug store with a real soda fountain and we did have a dairy where you could purchase real ice cream - the kind loaded with fat - for ten cents a very generous scoop. I can still see and taste the lemon ice cream.
Good Humor Trucks went by the wayside for a decade or two as our society grappled with the scary idea of children flocking to a moving vehicle operated by a stranger - usually a man. I read recently that they are making a comeback. I hope that some sociopath, somewhere, doesn't give Good Humor Trucks a bad name again.
Today, I could not believe that I gave a five-dollar bill for two thirty-somethings to share so they could visit "the ice cream truck" at a local beach. Visit they did and they even took pictures of their giant frog popsicles. I guess when the heat and humidity get as high as today's, everyone is entitled to head to a Good Humor Truck to purchase some ice-cold treat that can help lower the body's temperature. Somehow even fans could not keep up with trying to cool all of the over-heated bodies I saw today.
I came to the end of my day being hot, sweaty, sticky and kind of cranky. Even being out on the water couldn't cool me down. It was as if the humidity swallowed us up, leaving us with imaginary wool underwear to don in this miserably hot weather. I should have made a trip out to the Good Humor Truck!
Let's all find one tomorrow. We'll all feel better.
Ancora imparo
