Right now I'm thinking of the many Christmas seasons when my parents bundled my brother and I up and headed out to Hershey Park. Yes, Hershey (a usual summer destination, with roller coasters, etc.) Park in 30 degree or below temps. Every year, since I can remember, the park turned their entrance "village", stands and vendor areas into a glowing, sparkling, semi-chocolate-induced Christmas wonderland. We'd make our way from the parking lot, into the toasty, chocolate scented "Chocolate World", humming the "Hershey Song" between chattering teeth. I don't ever recall there being a charge to enter, but of course they got ya with hot chocolate, cookies and all the "Hersheyana" you can stand. My parents weren't as hesitant to satiate our nagging for it either, as I'm pretty sure they liked it as much as we did.
It was only a few years ago that the Hershey Company closed its factory in Reading, PA. This is where York Peppermint Patties, Zagnut, Jolly Ranchers and 5th Avenue bars were made for 23 years. Next time you go to tear into the wrapper of one notice "Made in Mexico". This jaded me more then I thought it might. While my chocolate dipped memories are still intact they can be personified by the lost chocolate bar in the back of the refrigerator or cupboard, found when the craving for it came, opened up to a disappointingly white, chalky film formed on the outside. Bottom line, "Damn it! Why'd they have to go and spoil it for me!".
Two years ago my mom asked if we wanted to go out to the Christmas Village at Hershey. She was feeling nostalgic and suddenly I was 8 again. I didn't think a minute about the factories or the workers who lost their jobs. I sank into the dreamland that made me smile ear to ear, wanting, more then anything, to share this with my wife. We went and it really was a great time, very much like remember, just smaller feeling.
So it wasn't until I sat and thought about it about a day ago that I got into a quandary of "Wow, Hershey sucks for doing what they did, but I have fun when I'm at their Park!", up against the fact that they now may move the whole production out of Hershey, PA, if the union can't strike a deal, keeping a new facility nearby. The need for the new facility makes sense, the idea that the workers and the people of the town of Hershey come a distant second, feels like a low-blow to an ailing economy.
Kind of feels like deciding to shoot Old Yeller.
It's certainly a fine line between nostalgia and disillusionment. That feeling you get when at eighteen years old your parents have to tell you the truth about the guy in the red suit. That was awful.
ReplyDeleteIt's also hard to go through life these days without the daily politic insinuating itself. Carry on your nostalgic rants my friend- don't give 'em the satisfaction!
Zagnuts... really!?