Peach Ice Cream and Dinner Table Talk
July 15, 2019
Pass It On is a new, bi-weekly peek inside the heart and mind of Francis Pass…
Listen:
Read:
My dad loved Sealtest, peach ice cream.
Peach Ice Cream and Dinner Table Talk… the Pass It On for July 15th, 2019… brought to you by Pass One Hour Heating & Air… here’s Francis Pass…
Back then, that ice cream only came out when the peaches were in.
My father had certain things that he would do that were real treats. One particular time never left my mind…. He drove us down to the Texaco gas station there in Dongola, they had a little bit of a restaurant in there that had ice cream in an open case up by the cash register. We probably had peach ice cream three times a year.
We would return home and enjoy that peachy treat while sitting around the table in our dining room. That’s right. In our home, it wasn’t just expected that we all sit and eat together at the dining room table. It was a requirement!
I had to sit in the seat next to the wall, which was a tragedy. Because, Mike got the plum seat with no wall behind him. I envied his spacious accommodations. But I digress.
Dad was a stickler for how we ate;
“Get your elbows off the table.”
“Quit wash’in your food down with water.”
“Don’t chew with your mouth open.”
“Don’t talk with food in your mouth.”
Now, the number of times I saw the back of dad’s hand up close and personal… well, we’re not gonna get into that today… suffice to say, there were several indentations in that wall behind me.
But dad would often engage us in dinnertime conversation. He always wanted to know what was going on in our little world. I tell ya, we learned many a life lesson at that dinner table.
The house right next door to ours was that of Tommy, my uncle. We heard tell that Tommy and his family got to eat their meals sitting with trays in front of the TV. Once, I asked, “Dad, why can’t we….” The final words didn’t even get a chance to trip over my tongue before dad roared his reply; “Not under my roof!”
That was all that had to be said.
I still love to indulge in the occasional bowl of peach ice cream. But, nowadays, every spoonful is accompanied by a troubling sensation.
No, it’s not brain-freeze… although I’m not immune to that.
The sensation I’m referring to is concern.
Concern that we’re not spending enough quality time with the ones we love.
I may be old-fashioned, but I believe that meal time is THE time families should be required to spend together. Gadgets, gidgets, pads, pods, and TV’s should be silenced. No texting, tweeting, or InstaSnapping. Just real talk… with the ones we love most.
Yes, I know I’m not scoring any points with the kiddos.
But, to all the young’uns out there: believe me, one of these days, you’ll thank me for it.
What I wouldn’t give for one more bowl of ice cream with my dad and brother.
Thanks for reading/listening.
Francis Pass.
Oh, and PS – Peaches are in season, and I hear they make a mean peach ice cream out there at Flamm Orchards in Makanda. Take a friend. But leave your screens at home.
