Simpler Days

A walk down a sweet filled memory lane

Recently, after what felt like forever,

I was talking to my childhood friends, reminiscing about the good old days. The world of innocence, filled with school camps, fancy dress competitions, mugging-up chapters, and candy.

The more we spoke about candy, the more I realized the immense role candy played in our lives. So many significant memories revolved around candy, and these tasty treats made growing up so much more fun. I developed an urge to go out and find these candies before they disappeared forever.

As we grew old, candy evolved into so much more than just sugar and flavoring. Fusen gum tattoos taught me how to make a fashion statement, polo’s taught me how to whistle, and magic pops (the most valuable of the candies in our school) taught me the ways of the barter system. Through all the excitement and jealousy, candy became a part of countless childhood memories.

One of my favorites memories involved Cadbury’s, dairy milk, and five stars, which were always reserved by our parents for gifting. I still remember waiting for the uncle who gave us chocolates every time he visited. There was a protocol we had to follow. We could not be too eager to grab the chocolate bar from his pocket and disappear. We had to wish him, smile at him, make small talk, thank him for the chocolate, and put it back in the fridge. The chocolate made all the hard work worth it.

Today, nothing can beat the thrill of finding these candies in a corner shop or online. These memories have always made me feel like our generation from the late ’90s was the coolest. We enjoyed life without smart-phones, Instagram, Facebook, and selfies. We lived in the moment, and we lived for ourselves.

As I work through the trials and tribulations adulthood throws at me, I can’t help but think back to the simpler days when a sweet cigarette between my lips, lipstick candy in my purse, and a jewel candy ring on my finger made all my worries disappear.

So the next time a shopkeeper offers you an eclair instead of a one rupee coin, think about the happy memories of your childhood, and even if it is just for a minute, make sure to go back and appreciate those simpler days.

Shivani Goel
Founder, Studio Pyxis