Fruit Stripe Gum memories...
My candy memory is about fruit stripe gum... I was going to college soon and I wanted to put volunteer work on my application. So I went to a local zoo to see if they needed anyone to help volunteer, and they said "Yes, we have a parade every Sunday and we need volunteers to paint animals on peoples faces". So I accepted the job thinking it would be easy. My first day on the job I ran out of black paint really fast and a child wanted a zebra painted on her face. The line was long and I didn't really have the time to go get more black face paint. So I looked around and on the table was a pack of fruit stripe gum. As you probably know there are zebra tatoos on the wrappers of the gum. So I quickly dabbed a little bit of water on the kids cheek and slapped the wrapper on her face and said "free of charge" and sent her on her way. She looked in the mirror and started to cry. Next the manager came out, saw the blue smudge on the kids face and fired me. Ever since that day whenever I see fruit stripe I think about that poor little girl walking around all day with a blue smudge on her face, I do feel bad but it is a little funny, hahaha. ~ Samantha from Maine More memories... Fruit Stripes was always a part of my childhood. I'm 18 now but looking back on the days when I was 4 1/2 seems far enough away. It was when I was 4 1/2 that I had to move from North Carolina to the United Arab Emirates. I had never been on a plane before and was a very hyper child. Between the visits to the Middle East and then back home to the States my mom would always buy me a back of Fruit Stripes to keep me entertained. Each trip I'd get a "special flight prize" from my mom, like a coloring book and glitter crayons, but I'd ALWAYS look forward to get my Fruit Stripes so I could play with the tattoos and the flavor would keep my mouth shut for hours. I think my mom getting me Fruit Stripes as a kid was the smartest thing she could have done for me. The memory of Fruit Stripes will last forever! ~ Sarah from Michigan As a kid growing up in the 80's Fruit Stripes was my most favorite gum ever! I loved it since it had a rainbow zebra on the front and the gum was striped too. Need I say I was obsessed with zebras and rainbows! I used to munch the gum stripe by stripe, making it last, trying to taste the different flavors. One day, my third grade teacher, who never wasted an opportunity to encourage me to develop my artistic gifts (she always asked me about what I read in the encyclopedia) gave me a pack of this as a treat! It may have been my birthday. She knew how special it was to me, and to this day I can't forget how much she encouraged me. Thanks Ms. Mcgee and Fruit Stripes! ~ Sabrina from Illinois |
