[continued from above] They are named after the Everlasting Gobstoppers in Roald Dahl's children's book, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" which later became the movie, "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory." In the story, Gobstoppers are purported to last forever and therefore the name, Everlasting Gobstoppers.  When I was a kid in the late 80’s, I attended summer camp sessions with a canteen. My parents would give me 15 dollars to use in the canteen to last the whole session, with the promise that I could keep any money that was left-over. With that in mind, I tried to make that money last as long as I could—mainly by always getting gobstoppers at snack time, which were much cheaper than candy bars or sodas. However, at one session, I ate so many gobstoppers in the Georgia heat that I got pretty sick to my stomach. My memory of going to the camp infirmary is wonderful—the sweet camp nurse fussing over me, the cool, air-conditioned room with clean, not sandy sheets, the quiet respite from a busy sleep-away camp. My eight-year old self was thrilled. So while I can’t say I learned my lesson, since I kept eating gobstoppers everyday at snack time, I can say that they made an indelible impression on me. I’ll still buy a box of them if I’m on a road trip and enjoy their changing flavors and colors. ~ Susan from Georgia |
