Thirty-five years ago when I was growing up my grandfather brought home a gumball machine. My two brothers and I were told to see what grandpa had purchased. I remember how surprised we were when we first saw the pile of gumballs nearly calling to us from inside the machine. To this day I still think that one or 2 of them might in fact have spoken to me.
Grandpa gave us all a coin and told us to use it in the gumball machine. We were giddy with amusement as we put the coin into the machine and twisted the crank. Our faces were ready to burst with excitement as we waited to find out which color gumballs would be resting behind the tiny door.
Each of us shoveled the gumballs into our mouth with small concern to what those colors happened to be. Our grandfather observed with a grin on his face. He then told us to sit down because he planned to tell us about the gumball machine.
The Gumball Machine Rules
Our grandpa set up some rules for the gumball machine. He said we weren't supposed to play with it without either him, my grandmom or Mom or Dad. The coins we used had to be coins we earned from being well-mannered and doing our chores. He also told us we weren't allowed to have gum before eating.
The rules were rather easy. We understood them and nothing was going to stop us from getting gumballs.
How a Gumball Machine Made us Listen
We knew the quickest way to be told we couldn’t get gum out of the gumball machine was if we did not pay attention to Dad. Our parents knew that all of us really wanted gumballs. They'd tell us whenever we did not pay attention the first time they said something that they would tell Grandad we misbehaved. This usually lead to a speedy turn in our behavior.
Dad gave us errands that would earn the change we needed for the gumball machine. Looking back on it, our allowance was almost certainly less than minimum wage although the statute of limitations for a lawsuit might have passed. We were a bit more focused on the quantity of gumballs we got as opposed to the level of change we were being paid.
The gumball machine was eventually passed down to my father and continues to be in the family. Every time I see, it I grin.
A New Gumball Machine
I have started searching on the net for a gumball machine for my home. It is going to be both a way for me to reconstruct with my kids what our grandpa did for me and my siblings as well as being a reminder of something great from my adolescence.
I see how my kids’ faces light up after they spot a gumball machine and the wistful look they give us. They just about will us to have change in our pocket that we'll give them so they can get a gumball.
We like the jumbo gumballs in my family. The kiddies all want the red and blue gumballs when they get them from a machine. I want to fill the gumball machine with just red and blue gumballs. Maybe I'll add a few white gumballs for 4th of July, after all we want to be patriotic!
A gumball machine is a large part of my adolescence and I plan to let my children get pleasure from the same lessons I learned due to a very smart grandfather and a gumball machine.
Thirty five years ago when I was growing up my grandpa brought a gumball machine home.
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