The Zen of a Golden Sun

So… shall I go deep today? Or should I go to fun memories from growing up in the best small town ever?  How about both?

Mindfulness is THE big thing today. Being in the moment. Enjoying actions, even the mundane, to their fullest. Buddhist philosophy. If you are walking, walk. If you are chewing, chew. If you are doing the dishes, do the dishes.

If mindfulness had even been heard of when I was a child, it would certainly have applied to eating potato chips. If you are eating a potato chip, eat a potato chip. Slatington’s Golden Sun Potato Chips were not just good potato chips. They were the best potato chips ever, at least between caveman times and about twenty some years ago when they ceased production.  A day that will live in infamy.

The factory, a non-descript white concrete building, sat at the corner of Church and Seventh Street at the edge of town. There were woods behind it, slate quarries across the street, and the little village of Emerald about a mile up the road.  Who would think that such a place could produce such a delightful delight!?

They came in a translucent bag. On the bag was a rising, large, smiling, golden sun. Open the bag and the immediate fragrance of the perfect combination of potato, lard, and salt hits your nose and let’s you know great things are on the way!  The chips themselves were far from uniform like today’s chips tend to be. I’m talking to you Lays! You would hope for a chip with a big grease bubble. Or better yet, one that was folded over! If you got really lucky you would find a double folded over, grease bubbled chip tucked inside another  folded over, grease bubbled chip. Oh…be still my heart!

Did I mention they were wonderful?  So there is the fun memory of a small town childhood part.  What does that have to do with going deep?   Golden Sun chips represent something deep in my soul. First the memory of a wonderful childhood. Second, finding the grease bubbled chip represents the unexpected pleasures in life like rainbows after a thunderstorm. Finally, finding the double folded, double bubbled chip is like finding that ideal relationship, where everything just fits together perfectly. Still looking for that!

So there you have it…the Zen of  a Golden Sun.  Hungry?