Written by For today’s prompt of “Brownie Points”, my mind started with the definition of receiving an imaginary reward for good deeds, but it’s tough to sketch something invisible. Then my mind leapt to chocolate brownies, and made a huge leap to an ice cream sandwich, so we have a quick sketch of that in the end. Since it is unseasonably hot here today, summer memories of chasing after the ice cream truck as a kid came flooding back to me. If I’d finished my homework, chores, and been generally good, I’d get a physical reward in the form of a few coins from my mom. The next step was to rush madly out of the house screaming and running, stopping only to pause and listen for the familiar ding and music to try to guess the precise location of the ice cream truck. If you stayed in one spot, there was no guarantee the truck would drive down the street on which you were eagerly waiting. This was long before the days of apps and geolocation so running in all directions hoping the sound of the familiar ding and music would grow closer to you in the process was all we could do back then. And, I loved the Neapolitan ice cream sandwich best. It was well worth all of the effort, because getting three flavors in one always felt like making the right choice.
These days, if I hear an ice cream truck, my heart starts to race and I have to stop myself from chasing after it. If nothing else, I’ve no idea if they take credit cards now and I need my change for the bus. But, that feeling of joy that came from the hunt of the ice truck and thrill of victory when finally getting that ice cream sandwich has never left my soul. In many ways, I live my entire life in this fashion. Chasing after little dreams that come to mind and letting them take me to the next little reward. They’re not giant and impossible dreams, just little things I’d like to try next. Well, that’s how I think of them anyway. And in doing so, they seem quite possible each and every time. Whether it’s starting a podcast or creating a book, in my mind, it’s just being that kid again, running to a new street, hoping to find that wonderful, and often elusive treat. It’s about listening to the little bell and music of my heart as it tells me where I should race to next in order to catch up with that dream. It’s not something I have to struggle to achieve, it’s something already out there I simply have to use a bit of courage to find.
There’s still a lot of dreams I’m pursuing in life. And letting each one lead me onward to the next one. My approach to life always makes me sound terribly optimistic, which I of course am, and just a wee bit crazy, which I might be as well. I’ve never really really understood how one measures crazy, but if normal is the alternative, I’ll gladly skip that. It seems a bit boring and drab. I like my world to be full of color and ripe with opportunities. Sure, it gets busy and sometimes too busy to keep up with everything properly. But, I do my best and always DO as much as I possibly can. Life is all about finding a good balance that brings joy. Not a perfect balance, as perfection doesn’t really exist. Nothing is perfect. Everything in the world is perfectly imperfect and that’s what makes life intriguing, unique and wonderful. What makes taking a bit of time to scribble, doodle, color in a sketchbook so much fun! So, I’ve no idea how many of my dreams I will manage to find before I die, but there’s a world of joy to be found in simply chasing after the ice cream truck.
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About the DoodlewashDa Vinci Paint Co.: Nickel Azo Yellow, Opus (Vivid Pink), Quinacridone Red, Terra Cotta and Cobalt Blue. Lamy Al-Star Safari Fountain Pen with sepia ink in an A5 Hahnemühle Watercolour Book. Want to purchase a print of this doodlewash? Send me a note with a link to this post, and I’ll add it to my shop! |
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Because we’ve always lived in the country, ice cream trucks are not part of my experience. My favorite were snack shacks at ball parks, the beach, and summer events. A quarter went a long way at the ball park. The snack shack was in a cement block building with a cement slab floor. It was always cool and dim in there. Candy, pop, and ice cream treats were all available. The people who ran those places must have been saints. Kids are not good decision makers at the best of times and with this super abundance of treats, it must have been hell.
I remember those cement blocks full of treats as well! 😃💕Yeah, I can’t imagine that was a fun job with all of those kids trying to figure out what they wanted! hehe
Loved those ice cream trucks and I do remember chasing after the truck. But, before the truck was a guy riding a bike (sort of a large tricycle) with a refrigerated box on the front that held all sorts of cold ice cream treats and we used to chase the sound of those bells too. Ah, the memories….:-).
Yay! Yeah, I only had the actual trucks, but I love that a bell could lure us so frantically for those sweet treat! 😃💕 hehe… fun memories!
I always loved icecream sandwiches!
Yay! Glad you love them as well, Karen! 😃💕
I think I just chipped a tooth trying to get a bite of that ice cream sandwich.
hehe! Thanks, Sarah! 😃💕 Glad you liked this! I’ve been craving them ever since I painted this one! lol
I well remember the ice cream truck but it was a rare occasion that we were able to buy anything We did have a candy store at the end of our street and on payday we got to spend a quarter there. That bought a whole bag of candy and we could spend an hour deciding which candy to buy. I remember the lady who ran the store would get so impatient with us sometimes because we’d take so long. I think that experience translate well to the feeling I get when I go looking at new art supplies. I just wish a quarter would go as far these days!
You and me both! A quarter doesn’t even buy an eraser these days! hehe I totally remember taking forever to make a decision on a purchase… hehe… that money was so precious and I didn’t want to mess things up. 😃 As I get older, that’s actually a wise thing to remember!
Hi Charlie, your ice cream sandwich looks delicious! Must be calorie free! Hehe! 😉
I remember the ice cream truck from my childhood. It didn’t come down our street very often but when it did, it was so difficult to decide! Thinking back, I ate a lot of popsicles… When I hear the ice cream truck in my neighborhood now, it is playing the song, “It’s A Small World After All,” over and over… thank goodness the driver can wear ear buds! 😉 Thanks for helping me remember! 👍😃
Thanks, Jill! 😃💕 All my doodlewashes are 100% calorie-free! lol And oh no… It’s A Small World is such an earworm… it gets in your head and doesn’t go away!! lol
Very nice u r ice cream.
Thanks
Thanks so much, Snehlata! 😃💕
I loved that same Neapolitan sandwich, and I always saved the chocolate section for last! I think they cost a dime in the 1950s. Sweet memories of the the truck and the treat.
Glad you liked this one, Sharon! 😃💕 hehe… I actually liked chocolate least so I ate that bit first. I was always bothered by the fact the vanilla bit was the smallest. lol
Great sketch!! Todays ice cream “vans” scare the bagibbies out of me. Who would let their child run up to one of those kidnapping trucks? I had forgotten that the ice cream man did not go up and down all the streets. We lived on a dead end and he never drove down our street. The occasional neighborhood visit was always such a joy! When my son was little, we would always tell him it was the music truck. We were frugal,and didn’t want to pay the high prices. Of course, then there was the lesson, that once they new there were kids in the neighborhood, they would drive through all the time, blasting their annoying music. (Never a sweet little bell like when I was a kid.) Hmmmm, am I sounding like a cranky old lady??? Hahahaha!
Thanks, Lori! 😃💕 hehe… I think we earn a right to be a bit cranky as we get older as long it as it doesn’t curb our optimism! lol Yeah, these days the very idea of friendly ice cream trucks seems almost mythical!