Did You Attend Church During the Life Savers Days?

Remember when Life Savers came in a roll? They were a staple of the pews during my childhood in the 1970s. This was before “Children’s Church” became a thing.

I do not know what your church was like, but in mine it felt like everyone even breathed quietly during the sermon. It was as if any noise might echo through the church and direct all attention to the troublemaker responsible. But those rolls of Life Savers were perfect for stealthy extraction. You could always hope that some newbie might make the mistake of bringing Tic Tacs to help cover you too.

But what roll had you chosen when you talked your parents into getting some at the store? Did you go for the almost naughty Butter Rum, or did you decide to deal with the emotional roller coaster of the five flavors?

Of course the pineapple and cherry were the best, orange was okay, but the lime is the one that got in the way. The best way to handle it was to keep putting the lime back in the roll until you could do two at a time.

Now there can be no debate that the best way of managing the roll was never to tear off the paper between extractions, right? If you did, you had a pocket full of trash in bits and pieces to deal with when you got home. The only right way was to leave the tail on and end it with one long piece.

Getting them to church required some logistical thinking. In the humid Georgia summers, the best way to transport was mom’s purse. Even the short ride to the church in my pocket could mean they would fuse together which made stealth trickier.

If you were especially good or mom and dad were feeling generous, you might get to visit the Brach’s Candy Stand and get some treats for church. Mom didn’t have to worry too much about you overdoing it in church because extracting the candy from those cellophane wrappers was slow and agonizing. Fortunately, there was an early warning system. If the lady named Joyce in the aisle in front of you turned and gave you a smile, the noise level was about to breach the containment zone. Every move was calculated as though you were trying to hide eating candy from God Himself. Life Savers were so much easier!

Or maybe it just seemed like the wrappers made too much noise…

As my teen years passed fifteen, I decided I had outgrown the “childish” use of rolled candy. I thought I should be more adult, so I switched to Certs. They also came in a roll, but they were wrapped in a sophisticated gold foil that felt like a step up. They had those famous green “Retsyn” specks, which suggested a level of maturity far more appropriate for a teenager. In my mind, I wasn’t just eating candy anymore; I was a young man handling his business and his breath.

Nowadays, kids are usually segregated, and I suppose that is better. It allows them to be active while the rest of us sit in the quiet. I do not know exactly when the sermons started sticking with me more; I suppose it was around 11 or 12. While I did not have the advantage of a children’s church, I was taught a lot about Jesus in my Sunday School and at home, I was introduced to a Jesus who loved me and wanted to save me. As it turns out, Jesus is the best Lifesaver you can ever hope for.

I am pleased to announce this is Walk in the Truth’s 100th blog post. Thank you for reading!

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