Our memories of childhood are often hazy, idealized,
or altogether fictional—but the older I get, the more I appreciate these
snapshots of the past. When I was very
young, my father worked in Lexington and would get home every evening around
six PM. He always carried two things
with him—a green Thermos, and a white-and-blue Coleman lunchbox called Lil
Oscar. Lil Oscar remained a constant
throughout my life, likely because it predated me. I am sad to say that after thirty-plus
faithful years of service to my father, Lil Oscar has finally been retired to
disability. In other words, his handle
fell off. The good news is I bought a
replacement model, but I will never quite forget the impression a lunchbox made
on me throughout my years.
