Today is National Chewing Gum Day and it spurred a memory from my youth. My thievery started at just seven years-old, but in my defense, Black Jack Gum was REALLY good. I wasn't very good at hiding the evidence and of course, I got caught.

Barb Birgy
Barb Birgy
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Do you remember Black Jack Chewing Gum? The gum was invented all that way back in 1884 and it had that black licorice taste that was just SO good. I must have loved it a lot, because I resorted to stealing it. My memory isn't very good as I've gotten older, but this memory has always stuck with me. Probably because of how much trouble that I got into.

My Mom was amazing, but you didn't challenge her, defy her or disappoint her. I did all of the above on that day when I was just seven years-old. Mom was checking out in the grocery line and there, with a beacon of light shining down on the end cap, was MY favorite gum. I grew up in the 70s' and you didn't act out in the grocery store. You didn't ask Mom to buy you anything and you, for sure, didn't steal. But, I did and stuck the pack of gum in my pants. I knew that I was wrong, but I wanted to put that sweetness in my mouth as soon as I got home.

I got away with chewing the first three sticks of gum and on the fourth it was over for me. I was hiding the wrapper evidence by flushing them down the toilet. Well, this time the wrapper floated back up to the top of the water. I didn't notice it, but my Mom sure did and to say that I got punished, is an understatement. I had to take the rest of the gum back to the store, apologize to the manager and pay for it. I was SO scared, but not as scared as I was, when I knew the punishment yet to come. Spankings happened back then and I got a whopper. I was grounded from playing with my neighborhood friends for two weeks. Luckily, when my Mom would say to "just wait until your Dad gets home," I knew Dad was a softy and the punishment would truly be over.

I deserved every single bit of the punishment that I received, but those first three sticks of gum, were pretty awesome! Did you ever steal anything as a child?

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SEE: 30 Toys That Defined the '70s

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