I am still unpacking. Yes after not moving for over 15 years there is a lot to unpack. In one of the boxes, I pulled out my square metal Beatles Lunchbox. It is in such great condition. Perhaps it was in good condition because I never placed food in it. That lunchbox was so special that how could I possibly place food in such an awesome container? However, finding my Beatles Lunchbox got me thinking….

 They just don’t make lunchboxes like they did when I was a young kid. Today many of them have cheap plastic and thermos containers that do not keep anything nice and cold.  I still catch myself going down the isles in the store looking at lunchboxes right before school starts. I get a kick out of young boys picking out manly lunchboxes, and young girls picking out the Jonas Brothers and God awful pink Hannah Montana boxes.

 My first lunch box was a yellow Peanuts Lunchbox. I was in first grade and carried that lunchbox with pride. I did not take lunch everyday as I happened to like my school lunches at 35 cents a piece. I knew Fridays was fish sticks and pudding and I liked pizza days. I only toted a lunchbox half the time, but when I did, I was styling.

 In third grade I had The Beatles Blue lunch box. I was so proud of it. Even as a young child, The Beatles rocked my world. So why not have the Fab Four as a lunch box? I will never forget the day it got stolen from the cafeteria at Dietz Elementary school. I think that was the day I had decided school sucked and it would always suck from that day forward. I am also glad that I still have my Help Beatles lunchbox that I purchased on Ebay years ago!

 I replaced the stolen Beatles lunch bucket with a Flintstone lunchbox. My best friend had a Wizard of Oz lunchbox, and it was very cool, but for some reason, my mother would not let me have it. I think it was because she was afraid of the flying monkeys. Speaking of Monkeys, I think my sister had a Monkees lunchbox. She was in love with Davey Jones, so I suspect she toted him around.

 One year My Jetsons lunchbox was dropped and my thermos broke. I recall being devastated it would mean I would need to either tote around my old lunchbox which I had by far outgrown, or choose from the slim pickings. It was that year I decided to tote a brown bag. There was something fun about the brown bag look. For a nickel, I could buy a token that got me a box of milk.

 One day a friend of mine said we should tease kids with brown bags and I finally asked my mother to let me get a new lunchbox. I am unsure what it is, but when a lunchbox is brand new, food tasted extra good. Those gross beef budding sandwiches with those thin slices of processed meat tasted good on the dry white bread my mother placed it on. I hated apples and oranges, but when placed into a brand new lunch box, they tasted sweet and juicy.

 Today there are tons of places to buy vintage lunchboxes. It seems we want to keep the memories of old lunchboxes alive and well. For me, my old lunchboxes hold a special place in my memories. What about you?