Remember when bottles could be returned for 2 pennies apiece? If it hadn't been for this little cash cow, I wouldn't have survived childhood. Let me give you my 2 cents worth in recounting this childhood, entrepreneurial endeavor.
Many times, while either my brothers and I or my friends and I were out playing, we found ourselves getting thirsty or hungry. Mind you, we probably had been out playing from sun up to well into the afternoon before we were remotely aware of our famished state. So, what did we do? In those days, none of us had an allowance, so we turned to the next best thing, scrounging for bottles. There always seemed to be a stash at either the ball parks or the local football stadium, especially following a Saturday game. Naturally, we had no reservations about "rummaging" around, provided we could come away with the necessary booty. Generally, we'd collect a half dozen or so bottles each and turn them in to "Ted's", "Liberty Market", or "Belanger's", all local mom and pop stores in the "hood". After we'd redeem our cache of bottles for cash, we'd tediously make our selections spending exactly the amount of our windfall. Simple economics really. Oh then, how we would savor the fruits of our labor, while sitting on the stone wall or leaning on the store front. Bulls eye's, jaw breakers, atomic fire balls, pixie stix, maybe a pop, and the delicious "brownie bar" would grace our palates. I can almost taste them right now.
Some states still have the bottle return policy, but the art of this ancient ritual is fading and known only to those of us who practiced it faithfully during our childhood. We really didn't think of it as helping to save the environment. We were "foot soldiers" looking for a way to fuel our cause. We were on a mission; and once the returns were in, I think you'll agree, we became "food soldiers"!
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