I Ate Seven Ice Blocks

There’s a sense of childlike joy you feel chasing after ice cream trucks down the street. And I find it a little ironic because I never did that as a kid. Not because I wasn’t allowed to, but just because we had ice cream at home. It was simply more expensive to buy them from the truck than a grocery store. And I didn’t mind because ice cream is ice cream—if I got to eat ice cream, I was happy.

It wasn’t until I entered university that I had purchased something from an ice cream truck. Every Sunday afternoon, a man drives this cute pink van around my neighbourhood, its signature jingle is heard by all the kids on my street and down the road. And I figured since I had never had that experience, why not tick it off the list? At the time, it felt very strange. I was someone new to adulthood, and buying soft serve from an ice cream truck seemed so far from what adults normally do.

Uncertainty and self-consciousness entered my mind as I approached the van for the first time. I was first greeted by the audible hum of the van’s engine, followed by the older man who candidly asked what I wanted. All was normal. It was an old-school ice cream truck that didn’t offer pre-packaged ice blocks from stores but instead had a soft-serve machine inside. You had the option to add toppings like sprinkles, sherbet, or Flakes, and you could get a double cone too!

It was a small experience, but one that brought me a lot of joy. And every now and again, I get excited hearing the ice cream truck’s jingle. If I’m in the mood for a little fun, I’ll run outside with some change and buy a cone. There’s no shame in being excited about seemingly childish things. One soft serve with sprinkles, please!

Sometimes, adulthood is exactly as it seems. Serious. Unfunny. And hard at times. You have more responsibilities that can be a difficult burden at times—which I still find an absolute privilege to steward—but there’s still an abundance of joy to go around and be found. The concept of adults being unable to enjoy “childish things” doesn’t exist. You earn big adult money now, enjoy yourself! Just last week, I chased an ice cream van to Balmoral Beach in search of exactly what you think. I feel no shame, only joy.

There was a special event going on where Aldi was selling ice blocks from the heavenly price of 36 cents, up to a dollar! Yes, I was serious when I said I ate seven. After all, the only thing I love more than ice cream is super cheap ice cream! It felt so silly, but I had such a fun time being hyped up by all the staff and trying their menu. I intended to do a full send, but sadly just fell short of the nine they were offering.

What I’m trying to tell you is to do the fun thing. Don’t let the voice in your head tell you otherwise (assuming you’re not doing anything immoral or illegal, please don’t get the wrong idea HAHA). Go chase after an ice cream truck. It’s not too late. There’s still so much joy to be found in things you didn’t get to do as a kid. And there really isn’t any shame in doing them.

Be an adult who can properly take care of what you are given, but be a child who can enjoy things fully.

Until next time,
Jaimee