The purpose of food is not merely to strengthen the body. There are other aspects of food: romantic mood, comfort, diversion (e.g. from smoking), a walk down memory lane...
Lori Patterson was my best childhood friend. We shared everything together, especially birthdays. One year our moms took us to Farrow's Ice Cream Parlor. This was a magical place where any kid could ask for his or her favorite treat, and get it! Excitement began the moment we arrived. The large red and white circus-like building emitted loud big top music into the parking lot, drawing in any passers-by. My mother pulled up in her orange Buick Regal; as soon as our feet hit the blacktop we were racing into our birthday world. I remember us dancing around the restaurant waiting to be seated as the Wurlitzer played its happy tunes. Lori told me that she remembers her childhood by my memories, because she has forgotten so much. I remember Lori ordered a grilled cheese sandwich while I ordered an egg salad sandwich. To this day, when I sink my teeth into an egg salad sandwich I think of that happy day and my best friend Lori. Just one bite transports be back to my eighth birthday, balloons surrounding our table and excitement filling every corner of the room. A man holding a huge drum banged on it as the other employees sang their Farrow's birthday song. On the way out our mothers bought us huge jaw breakers, one last token of our special day.
Today I started to hunger for my favorite egg salad sandwich, or was it that I wanted to go back to the exciting days when life was easy and a big celebration was eating an egg salad sandwich with my best friend?
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