Not the same

No, not at all.

There are some things from my childhood that haven't changed a lot. My grandma's sushi, my grandpa's ability to catch the biggest fish every time. Kokuho Rose rice. Sapporo Ichiban ramen. The way fruit cocktail tastes, my love of strawberry ice cream.

As you get older, though, your perceptions and your tastes change. I still love rice and noodles, I just don't eat them as much. I remember when I moved out and went to college (the second time, mind you), we bought Spaghetti-Os and ramen. When you're 4 or 5, Spaghetti-Os, or damn near everything from Franco-American, was a treat beyond words. But even to the desperate palate of a college student, that stuff was horrible. You couldn't add enough meat or cheese to kill the plastic taste. Which brings me to tonight's rediscovery.

I loved Hawaiian Punch. When it was Hot Dog Day in elementary school, I'd get my dog, Funyuns and an ice cold can of Hawaiian Punch. I think it was $1 or $1.50 for everything. That was the best.

Fast-forward about 30 years. Hawaiian Punch... haven't touched the stuff in forever. And yet I ended up with a 2-liter bottle in my fridge. I needed something to drink with ye olde turkey sammich and it was there. And it was terrible. And I drank the whole glass.

It smelled like dish soap. It tasted fake and plastic. I think it's given me a headache, and lord knows what it will do to my stomach. It was such a disappointment.

It looked so promising in the bottle, all red and shiny. The little Hawaiian Punch dude all cheerful and beckoning. I guess some childhood memories should stay just that. After all, you're young enough where you just don't know any better!