Iron Acres is a Girl Scout free zone. Not by choice, I just don't think the local scouts venture very far outside of Hooterville, even though Iron Acres is only 5 minutes from town. Hmmm. I haven't thought about Girl Scout cookies in a long time.
I really enjoyed my Girl Scout years, especially one certain cookie campaign. . .
The year was 1956. Every girl scout worth her weight in sandwich cookies was out to fill her sales quota to win the prize of a lifetime: an innocuous round green and white button with the numerals 56. Many a sleepless creative night must have gone into that idea. But it was a winner. At least in 1956. Try that today and you would get laughed out of your green and whites. This was an older, simpler time. A round tin button looked like the holy grail to a shy, awkward, tall 9 year old girl.
Keep in mind that if I had my dna tested it would come up completely void of the competition marker. I am genetically competition challenged, pathologically apathetic.
But this was different. It called forth something hidden deep in the abyss of my soul. I don't know why or how, but I wanted that button. Bad. REALLY bad. So bad that before the time was up I had palmed off 56 stinking boxes of stinking Girl Scout cookies to every relative, neighbor, or stranger who would answer the door and gaze down through my cat's eye glasses into my imploring dark brown eyes.
With pity. Lots and LOTS of pity.
My reward for which I worked so feverishly, that round piece of tin and paint, is still in my possession. And my competition challenged genes quickly reestablished themselves in the decision making pecking order. That button taught me something about myself and life.
For one brief shining moment, I took on the impossible and made it happen. Okay, the neighbors and strangers and family made it happen. But I committed myself to something big, for me, and saw it through successfully.
It also taught me that I didn't want to be a door to door sales person when I grew up--an important fact I forgot until AFTER my Junior Achievement experience in high school. But that is a story for another day.
Gourmet Chefs and Girl Scout Cookies , Girl Scout Cookie Sales in Jeopardy, Vintage Girl Scout
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