Laura Bland

The old nostalgic days of glass Coke bottles being vended out of the dime machine then propping the top of the bottle against the opener on the machine and listening to the lid hit the floor just brings back so many memories. The cool, crisp, refreshing flavor on a hot summer day was relaxing and hit the right spot, quenching all needs.

Returning the glass bottle to claim the deposit, and then purchasing a piece of nickel candy made the day worth the while during the summers at Grandma and Grandpa’s. Returning back to their house after a long walk to return the bottles and enjoying our handful of nickel candy brought smiles to the grandchildren who were fortunate enough to spend the summers locally.

The summer memories of the icy Coke out of the bottle mingle with childhood memories of the times spent on the swing set in the backyard, endless hours at the swimming pool, and countless miles on the bicycles, all while carrying our bottles of Coke.

Seeing the bottles making a comeback into today’s grocery stores elicits those memories of fun and seemingly endless summer days of innocence. Opening a cold bottle with the handheld bottle opener and sharing with my children today reminds me that I once was a small child. We all need to slow down and to enjoy the small pleasures on a daily basis.

Do your childhood memories include a bottle of Coke? Do they include cheerful memories that you would choose to want to pass onto your children and grandchildren?

Photograph Credit:
Sabrina Segal