It used to
be that you could only buy candy floss at the seaside or at a fair, which made
it a big treat and an essential part of a family outing. Watching the sticky,
pink confection being wound around the sticks, in anticipation of the sweet,
melt-in-the-mouth experience (and the wind blowing it into your hair) was a
highlight of many an outing for me. But now it seems this is no longer a treat
reserved for trips to the fairground or days out by the sea, as my local
shopping centre now has a permanent stall selling candy floss and popcorn.
Fresh
popcorn (as opposed to the toffee stuff in bags) also used to be somewhat of a
treat that formed part of a trip to the ‘pictures’ as we once called it.
Cinemas still sell boxes of popcorn in a variety of sizes, but now this can be
bought at the shopping centre stalls too.
Some of you
may love the fact that these sweet treats are so readily available, but I feel
that somehow they have been ‘demoted’ to something as mundane as a loaf of
bread.
By making
former treats seem like everyday items, what do we leave for treats in their
place? Maybe we all expect much more from a treat today, in a world that has
become ever more materialistic, or perhaps that’s just me being cynical.
Of course,
we can opt to ignore these stalls (which I do) and still reserve these treats
for seaside or fairground days. My son is a big fan of candy floss, but he only
ever has it on traditional seaside trips. For him it remains a treat.
What else
do you think has lost its ‘treat’ status?
Follow
me on Twitter @shoppersjoy
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