A CHIP FROM THE OLD BLOCK?
When I was. Young (and my heart was never an open book) there were many things I could count on. Playing out in the yard where one block of the sidewalk was first base, a swing set pole was second, a flowering bush was third and a bare spot meant another run in the 37 to 34 barn Varner was home became the site of day-long ball games interrupted only for lunch was one of those things. Lunch was without exception a peanut butter sandwich a cup of colored sugar water known as Koool-aid and from the big bowl a handful of Sterzing’s potato chips. When the long summer turned to school days and we came home for lunch or took our mid-day feast in a brown bag there was probably milk delivered from the Sunshine Dairy and sometimes at home some Campbells Chicken noodle soup....but there was always that handful of Sterzings...
Now this blog has featured potato chips before so we won’t belabor the histor of this uniquely American food and the fact they originated because a customer complained that his potato’s weren’t sliced thin enough so the cook got irritated and sliced some really thin. Sometims necessity isn’t the mother of invention so much as a well-aimed middle finger to a whiner. It is, however, worth stating that some chips were. Local and for some folks they became. Part of how a community is defined. It happens with other foods too. Have you ever heard of a Philly cheese steak, a New York strip, Texas Toast, or Long Island Iced Tea? Well that’s because people started and continue to identify those things with a feeling of home, of location, of culture. It’s because the natives of a region, a community, etc..identify that thing a as part of the toolkit used to bring meaning to their cherished experiences.
Peace and Joy and Sterzing’s Chips
Down below there is a link to. A podcast featuring Craig Smith the President of Sterzing’s Foods and he describes the ways this food became a part and remains a part of the culture of Burlington Iowa, Southeast Iowa and for some folks far beyond. It brings light to the idea that intentional actions are at pla. There are elements in every community that lead to traditions and rituals that don’t happen at the fairgrounds or on the waterfront—they happen at kitchen tables, in campgrounds, during picnics and while sipping one’s favorite adult beverages. They are quiet and a little crunchy celebrations of events that say “I’m going to remember the best of my childhood—I’m going to persist in believing that my neighbors care enough to build or maintain a foundation for my memories. These customs and traditions let us experiment with new experiences and come back to a solid place if we step in some quicksand. In short they give us some sense of stability know matter where we choose to cut new paths either alone or with others. When we have some symbols even those that come in a yellow bag (maybe green too?) with red letters we can reach out and learn that we can find the right path for us and still understand that there. Can be many paths.
Anyway seeking peace and joy often means finding the traditions where you are and when you are there...using. These to build meanings and understand the meanings others bring to their world. Sterzing’s are part of how I bring meaning to my experiences of lunch, family, and community just as certain as Tulip Time brings meaning to Holland Michigan and Pella Iowa or the Butter Cow is a monument at the most famous state fair in the known.universe...the Iowa State Fair.
So find some traditions or start building some...these are the tools of seeking peace and joy that we can do with a purpose. Either that or just get your hands on some Sterzing’s, build some memories or let some good ones float into your world for a few. Minutes....
y
https://peaceandjoy505.libsyn.com/sterzings-a-chip-from-the-old-block
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