Whatever happened to …

… penny bubble gum?

Of course, the question might be kind of moot since we abolished the penny!

But this certainly has fond memories for me.

• at the checkout counter, Mom would often throw in a couple for my brother and me as a treat
• we’d take pop bottles that we’d find in the ditch into the garage and exchange them for gum
• it took a while, if I remember correctly, but I did learn how to blow bubbles
• of course, it was forbidden in school, but that didn’t stop you from sucking the sugar from it and then snapping a quick bubble when the teacher’s back was turned
• there also was a never-ending supply of gum stuck on the bottom of our desks
• then there was the scare that there were spider eggs in the gum. It didn’t deter us though
• you had to unwrap these correctly so that you didn’t tear the comic wrapped on the inside – some were the original Dad jokes, I think
• bubble gum evolved – in pricing from 1 cent to 2 and then 5 cents a piece. It then came in strips like chewing tobacco and then a “log” of gum that you’d chew off just as much as you wanted

These days, I’m still a gum chewer – just not a bubble gum chewer. My gum doesn’t come individually wrapped anymore. It’s got a crunchy cover and comes in a plastic container holding sixty pieces. (I need at least two to get a good chew.)

How good is your bubble blowing memory?

• do you remember penny bubble gum?
• were you a gum chewer? Are you one today?
• what was the character’s name in the comic that came with Bazooka? Did you know “he” has a page devoted to collecting the comics here?
• who else made penny bubble gum?
• is Juicy Fruit a more mature entry into the gum chewing field?
• if you’re a teacher, is gum allowed in your class?
• if you’re a teacher, do you still peek under the desks or tables to see what’s sticking around?

How about sharing your thoughts via comment below?