Summertime Saviors

Summertime is for stained blue tongues, gumball candy eyes, vanilla and chocolate mixed cones topped with peanuts, and Neapolitan flavored ice cream sandwiches.

Summer is the season of ice cream; we all know this. Sure it could be enjoyed in the mild temperatures of spring, but it would lack that all powerful soothing effect it has on a scorching summer day. And only the foolhardy would dare risk eating the snack in the frozen tundra that are the fall and winter months.

Most importantly summer is the only season where the ice cream trucks are out in full force. They awake from their long period of hibernation to service the children of the neighborhoods.

As a child ice cream was a rare and welcomed treat. You could always attempt to sneak a carton into your parents' shopping cart with hopes they didn’t notice (typically with little success), but you were always guaranteed ice cream when the truck made its trek into your neighborhood.

As a boy I eagerly awaited the infectious music from their sirens that heralded summer was finally upon us. The songs were a call for all children on the block to gather, our pockets filled with our parents' money. We’d anxiously wait at our front doors, ensuring we didn’t miss its passage. To miss the ice cream truck was to miss the event of the day. For us in my neighborhood the brightly colored trucks were more than a convenient place to get our favorite summer snack. They were akin to a watering hole in the African wilds. They were a gathering of the neighborhood’s finest. They were high society.

The ice cream truck provided a place of community for us children. If you and your friends weren't already playing outside you were sure to meet them at the ice cream truck. You would discuss your new favorite cartoon, or video game while waiting your turn to order. Thinking back on it, that may have been the only time in recorded history where children neatly organized themselves. The ice cream truck seemed to have that effect on us; no disorder or chaos, only decisions and glorious ice cream ahead.

In addition to community it offered something else amazing for a child; variety! Your local ice cream truck carried unimaginable treat potential: beloved cartoon characters in ice cream form, giant ice cream cookies, push-pops, frozen lemonade, and even the highly coveted ice cream taco. The options seemed endless as a child, and still mind boggling as an adult. My personal favorites were always the cartoon characters because of the addition of the gumball eyes. It was a frozen delight and something to enjoy after. If you were more of a soft serve person they had you covered as well. Whether you wanted a cup or classic waffle cone, sprinkles or peanuts, strawberry or caramel topping the ice cream truck could provide. You could even go a step further and enjoy inferior summer snacks like nachos, potato chips, and candy all supplied by the ice cream truck. They were one stop shops for whatever summer goodies your heart desired.

To this day my heart fills with excitement when I hear that familiar song on a loop blaring through my neighborhood. I almost still have the urge to run to my mother for any spare dollars she might have, despite now being an adult and living alone. Without a doubt ice cream is my, and most people’s favorite summer treat, but it wouldn’t be as accessible without the ice cream trucks. I think we owe them a small debt of gratitude for so graciously serving us. They were truly the saviors of summer.