62. Dinosaurs and Ice Cream

This listener recounts the time they got to have their cake and eat it too as a child on a school field trip.

Transcripts may not appear in their final version and are subject to change.

INTRO MUSIC

I’m Nora McInerny and it’s going to be okay. 

EMAIL WOOSH

When I was a child, my vehemently religious private school took us to the local Museum of Nature and Science. What was supposed to be a day full of excitement and exploration of what was supposed to be a day full of excitement and exploration of a time long past.

Was instead turned into a child’s worst nightmare learning. I had spent the day moping around that I wasn’t allowed to dig in the mock excavation site or play on the playground. Instead, I had to watch documentaries on animals that were extinct and in my child mind no longer mattered. The day was a total drag in my mind and something that I’ve been looking forward to for weeks when buying the span of a couple hours.

Afterwards, our teacher took us all to a local three syllable chicken restaurant, famous for their religious ties, and being closed on Sundays, naming no names in the building, still moping and upset. I walked to the front and ordered the kids’ meal that my single mother had prepaid for in advance.

But one of my friends told me, Hey, you know, you can substitute the toy in the kids’ meal for an ice cream and ice cream. Oh my. My day went from horrible to amazing. In the span of a minute, I walked proudly to the front of the line, ready to order my nuggets and ice cream when the horror hit me, they had block-a-saurses.

As toys, for those of you not indoctrinated into the church of the toy dinosaurs, these small little plastic make your own dinosaurs were exactly what I needed after a day like today. So I sat at the front of the line making the most important decision of my life, ice cream or dinosaur. I confirmed with the man that I could substitute the toy for an ice cream, but my decision wasn’t made.

The man at the counter saw my contemplation and after what I was sure was in excruciatingly long wait on his end, I dejectedly asked for the toy dinosaur giving up on my ice cream fueled future. Several minutes later, the man came back with my meal toy and all and handed me an ice cream cone. Don’t worry about it.

I’m sure for this man, this was just another day, another 99 cent ice cream cone to give away to a kid who is honestly probably putting him behind in his work to make such an important life decision. But what this man most likely doesn’t know is that 25 years later, I still think about that moment nearly daily in a life full of uncertainty and bad moments.

A simple okay moment shined through the clouds. And the fear, and it’s something I’ll never forget. While I no longer have the block-a-saures, I will never forget Mr. Ice Cream Man.

Hunter, thank you for sharing this with us and thank you to Mr. Ice Cream man, that small act of kindness. Or maybe just exasperation, who knows?

Who cares. It was a huge moment to this kid and now to this grownup, and I think it is a good reminder for me that you just don’t know what small thing is going to end up being someone’s big thing.

OUTRO MUSIC

That thing was so much more than, okay, I love that. Oh, I love that thing. That was such a great thing and  what I love about making this show is that the it changes every day. Okay? It’s something different every single day. It’s different for all of us. The best part is hearing and sharing yours. You can send an email to us like Hunter did, IGTBO at feelings and dot co.

You can record a voice memo and attach it to that email. If you want your voice in this, you can also call us at (612) 568-4441. You got options. 

CREDITS