It may seem like a bizarre thing to say but snack vending machines play a role in my favorite childhood memories and continued to throughout my so-called growing pains. When I was a kid my parents were members of a local bowling league with their best friends. I was so little and they couldn’t leave me home alone or with a babysitter each time they went, so occasionally I would join them.It was like entering a magic realm. All the people, the sport, and the cool looking bowling lanes. Well, regardless, my mother and her friend used to take me to the snack vending machine to get a treat when I got bored or antsy. I remember it very fondly.
As I got older, the soda vending machine was my hangout spot during lunch break. We used to get a Cherry coke and complain about all the teachers that made us do an obscene amount of papers.
In both cases, the vending machine became a way for me to socialize. It’s the youth version of the office water cooler. It is the place you go to get a break from the stresses of your everyday life. And for that, I am glad they exist. And I get good treats for only a dollar or two. It’s pretty amazing.