I swallowed my first piece of gum.
I saw my dad pop a piece into his mouth
And asked for one myself
I had to have been 2 or 3
This is an old and early memory, faint, hazy, but there
He and my mom made me promise not to swallow it.
I promised, then swallowed it almost immediately.
I didn’t know how not to.
I think it was mint. I never liked mint anyway.
When I was 3 or 4 I tried gum again.
This time it was on a plane, the first plane ride of my memory
To Arizona to a be flower girl in a distant cousin’s wedding.
They’re divorced now.
Every wedding I’ve been to has since divorced.
Am I a jinx or something? Better find out before I go to any more weddings.
But anyway, the gum on the plane was strawberry flavored, and it came in giant square chunks that my dad had to break up for me.
It tasted good.
I didn’t swallow it.
My next plane ride came at age 9.
Disney World.
The gum my dad bought was “mystery” flavored.
Sometimes I chew gum with an actual, named flavor,
But it tastes like the mystery gum, and I’m reminded of that trip.
In middle school, chewing gum in class was considered a deadly sin.
They didn’t want students sticking it under desks.
But if you outlaw gum, students who chew it anyway will stick it places
Because they can’t exactly walk up to the trash can with their contraband, now can they.
Nothing that school did ever made sense.
My high school didn’t care about gum.
The first piece I chewed in class was green apple flavored.
Some girls in my Bio class gave out packs as a fun gimmick for their presentation on enzymes.
I felt so cool, grown up, and free as I chewed away at my desk.
Like I was stepping into a new era of life
One where gum is allowed in school, and a host of opportunities abounded.
Never admit to having a full pack of gum in class though.
Your peers will be on you,
Clamoring for a piece like a flock of gulls.
That happened to a girl named Sam in my history class once.
That was the girl who almost hit me at the cross walk…
Or was that her twin sister?
I forget, and who cares. It’s not like she was going fast.
She just let off the break half a second and startled me.
But her friends kept joking that she almost killed me.
That is false. The car never even touched me, and if it had, it would have left a bruise at most.
I have a vague memory, of me at age 14… 15… 16? One of those,
Chewing watermelon gum at Gina’s brother’s house after Christmas dinner,
Reading on the couch while Gina’s nephew unboxes his new Lego set.
I’m chewing watermelon gum now. Same brand.
It’s almost out of flavor.
I should probably throw it out.