the paper bag lunch. remember that? mom packing a sandwich, chips and cookies into a crisp brown bag. i always had a peanut butter and jelly (preferably raspberry). i looked forward to the crunchy cheetos too. the puffy were for wussies.

heading out the door, my mom would hand off the packed goodness, but i always complained about how we only got 2 cookies. i suppose that is the recommended serving size, but don't you usually eat them by the rail? oreos were the preferred choice, but sometimes we got chips ahoy! or fig newtons (again, preferred raspberry).

so shoving the lunch into my backpack i walked to school with my sister and older brother. my little feet could barely keep up with his. i had to practically run to stay in step with him. as soon as we got through those school doors, he ditched us and went to see his friends.

i got to class and already looked at the clock, watching the seconds click down to that beloved period of lunch. each tick seemed like an eternity. each subject passed with another subject hot on the heels until that time came. dig back into the backpack, grab my now messed up bag with my name drawn on with a sharpie. line up next to the door and single filed out to the lunch room. then the trading began.

a twinkie for a cupcake. my cookies for yours. this for that. capri-sun for a chocolate milk. back and forth until everyone was satisfied with their newly found lunches (i can honestly say that i never traded my lunch). after eating, i would throw away my trash. my brown paper bag became recycled. i fold my now used and crumply brown paper bag in thirds and put it back into my backpack only to be reused the next day.

have times really changed though? i mean, sure, i don't "trade" lunches. i pack my own lunch (wouldn't that be weird if my mom still did?). also, instead of the cookies and chips, it's cheese and almonds. usually a v8 or a tuna fish sandwich. and now, it's a white paper bag...