Yvonne White
Why do we have warm feelings when we see little doughnuts rolling along in hot grease? Then they are lightly sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. Seven are gently placed in a little paper bag for us to buy. They are slowly taken out of the bag and slowly eaten—there are just seven. What is the big attraction? Do they remind a person of one’s childhood?
As a child I used to enjoy going into Kresge’s Department Store. Edie White operated the doughnut machine, right as one entered the store. Kids enjoyed seeing the doughnuts from thick liquid dough through to the finished product. Sometimes we bought some, but most of the time it was just fun to watch! Never did I believe Edie would become my Aunt Edie several years when I got married!
As a teacher I loved to read Homer Price, written by Robert McCloskey. It was about a school age boy and the doughnut maker that fed the whole town.
In August, in Minnesota, the first stop off the bus, after arriving at the Minnesota State Fair, we look for the little bag of doughnut food truck. We pay $5 and buy a bag and buy a cup of coffee. The warm sugary cinnamon doughnuts and coffee have become an annual event as the start of our day at the fair.
Two years ago we vacationed near Brainard, Minnesota, in a small resort town of Nisswa. After parking and looking at the fun resort stores we saw a doughnut food truck. We couldn’t pass up the little bag of doughnuts for $6 for our seven tiny doughnuts coated in cinnamon sugar. I guess part of the attraction is memories of childhood.
The last Monday of September we were driving south on the 35 out of Minnesota. Suddenly in front of us we were passed by a doughnut food truck! Where was it going? It was going south to get out of the cold Minnesota weather. It was headed for Iowa or further south. Was it going for storage or to a festival to serve the little bags of doughnuts?
This past week we were getting caught up on the series of Check Please, Arizona and one of the restaurants was Bobby BBQ in North Phoenix. We listened intently to the BBQ items they had on the menu. At the end they said, “When our guests leave we give them a little bag of doughnuts. While they are here they can watch the little doughnuts being made.”
I guess others are captivated by these delectable, delicious, delightful little memories of one’s childhood.