I was watching a little TV tonight and saw a commercial for A&W and one of the things the commercial implied was that and A&W root beer float was a part of the fabric of American culture. I found this to be really interesting. As I thought of it I realized that while I may not agreed with the statement, when I think of what summer was for me as a kid, A&W root beer floats were a big part of that image. I didn't have them all the time but in Medford, were I grew up, there would be a stretch were things got really hot; 110+ degrees hot. Sometime during that stretch we'd end up at an A&W and the taste of the amazingly creamy root beer in the ice cold glass mug was just...perfect. Sometimes I'd add the ice cream but usually the root beer that was cold enough to have ice crystals was enough.
So, to me, A&W root beer was just a part of summer as I was growing up. As the chain slowly died it was almost as if it was a metaphor for my childhood passing into adolescence and then young adulthood. Now that Yum! Food/Pepsi owns A&W I wonder if they'll bring back the root beer the way it used to be of if they'll put out some corporately sterilized version they'll claim is the same. How will the metaphor proceed?
So, the question I have for you is what thing symbolizes summer in your mind? What thing reminds you of summer? What taste or smell or place or thing?
