7-Eleven

Do you remember Summers spent in flip-flops and rainbow t-shirts?  Lying on the driveway to get warm after running through the sprinklers?  Tire swings, tree houses, and sand boxes?  Those things speak of my childhood Summers.

I grew up in a small town.  No stop lights, no grocery shopping on Sunday.  No fences between neighbors.  Backyards that were shared by all the neighborhood kids.  Block parties, freeze tag, and tubing down the creek...  Winget's for treats on the walk home from the pool.  Cluff's for Cokes, and the POD for dances...  But no 7-Eleven.  My Summers were filled with fun and excitement, but what I really wanted was a Slurpee.

Slurpees--the epitome of Summertime treats.  The one thing (besides grape Mike & Ikes) that I craved while pregnant with HRH.  That cold, refreshing, burst of icy, sugary syrup.  That drink that leaves a tell-tale sign if your teeth aren't freshly brushed.  That supreme creator of Brain Freeze, served with a spoon-bottomed drinking straw. That was always my wish for the perfect Summer treat.

Last week I noticed a change on the corner of 1200 W Center.  The Sev was still there, but where did the gas pumps go?  It's not like I make a habit of stopping at 7-Eleven to fill my tank (I prefer the prices at Costco).  But if I were to be in need of a little topping-off, I would certainly consider The Sev as a great place for filling the car (while fulfilling my own snacking and beverage needs).  But now, without the gas pumps, I'm not sure I will ever stop at 7-Eleven...  I just don't see myself needing the calories and caffeine enough to make the extra stop for snacks.

After noticing the removal of the 1200 W Center pumps, I saw the thing that actually gave rise to this post...  There is a new shopping center going in on State Street.  There is a sandwich shop, a scooter store, a restaurant, and something new going in.  For days, every time I passed by, I tried to figure out what the new business would be...  I was stumped, as the colors looked like a 7-Eleven, but it seemed like such an odd location for a gas station...  That's when it occurred to me, The Sev is no longer a gas station...  And, although that is how I have always seen it, maybe it never really was just a stopping point for refueling.  I'll be interested to see how many people stop in for a Slurpee after going to The Chev or Costco for refueling.