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My Lunchbox, Myself
October 18, 2007
By Mary Forsell, Contributing Editor
 There must be some primitive part of the brain that responds to lunchboxes in the same way that flowers greet the sun. Even before my preschooler could speak, she was grabbing princess lunchboxes shaped like hearts off of display racks. Toward summer's end, her big sister seems to know instinctively where in the department store she'll find the lunchboxes, even if we're not shopping for them at the time. Recently, she pointed to one that depicts characters from a little kid's show she hardly watches anymore. Since she's a first grader now, I advised her that in a few months, she'd probably be mighty embarrassed by her babyish choice. Nodding sensibly, she opted for one that depicts doe-eyed cartoon girls in platform shoes and leggings—and naturally found a Thermos and water bottle to match. After all, your lunchbox says a lot about you.My kids' lunchboxes are plastic-and-cloth affairs loaded with zippered secret compartments. But I say the old metal kinds were superior, especially the domed type. You unlatched the top and opened the hatch like a treasure chest. I particularly coveted the Snoopy doghouse and Lost in Space models. Pair that with a chicken roll sandwich on white bread with plenty of mayo and a Ding-Dong, and you're officially in lunchbox heaven.
 
You can still find vintage types online at www.lunchboxcollector.com, or go to www.lunchboxes.com for a new remake of old style. Take a virtual tour of the Lunchbox Museum of Columbus, Georgia, by visiting www.lunchboxmuseum.com.
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Hi Mary, my husband and I were just at the
Pasadena flea market and these little
lovelies and more were going for a sleek
$125.00 +. Mine was a totally
groovy Monkeys lunch box - I don't recall
finding a ding-dong in mine tho :o)
Terri Conrad
Posted By: http://www.terriconraddesigns.typepad.com
OH! Yes I still remember my old Betsy
Clark's lunchbox.
What a wonderful days!!
Regards,
Cata
Posted By: www.catascraft.blogspot.com
Very enjoyable short essay. I will look
for more articles by Mary F.
Posted By: Linda
I'm almost 50, but, I can still hear the
click of the latches and remember the smell
of my p b&j sandwich wafting out. I can't
remember who was on my lunch box just the
aqua blue sides. Aqua is still one of my
favorite colors. Thanks for the memory!
Posted By: Betty at http://shessewpretty.typepad.com/
I have the plain ol' black metal kind
sitting on top of my refrigerator. To me,
a kitchen just isn't a kitchen without a
black metal lunch pail on top of the
refrigerator.
I have a weird sort of lunch-box envy, as I
walked home from school for lunch everyday.
Posted By: judy, www.judyh58.blogspot.com
Picking out a new metal lunchbox right
before school started is a favorite memory
of mine! Bring on the Ding Dongs and Ho-
Ho's and PBJ sandwiches. School memories at
their best!
Posted By: Georgeann
As a kid I never carried my lunch to
school. My mom always thought a hot lunch
was best. Growing up on a family run farm
you learned to eat what was prepared, not
by request and our school lunches were good
too. But, I always had lunchbox envy at
school. I lusted after the matching sets.
The thermos and lunchbox must match and the
colors must be girlie colors. Funny since I
was such a tomboy. Nice trip down memory
lane.
Posted By: Patricia on the river
Being my Mom always made me eat hot
lunch, I always had lunch box envy. Great
blog! I was brought back to times in a
store begging Mom for a cool lunch box
with a matching thermos! Thanks for the
memories! Even tho deprived, I look back
fondly!
Posted By: Linda Thiltgen www.lindathiltgen.com
Thanks for the memory...of me being so
jealous at school of the cool lunch
boxes! My lunch was humbly pulled from a
brown paper sack, and my tuna sandwich was
always scrunched like a pancake!
Posted By: *Heidi* http://journals.aol.com/hwoodred/everyday-cookies/
As a kid I never carried my lunch to
school. My mom always thought a hot lunch
was best. Growing up on a family run farm
you learned to eat what was prepared, not
by request and our school lunches were good
too. But, I always had lunchbox envy at
school. I lusted after the matching sets.
The thermos and lunchbox must match and the
colors must be girlie colors. Funny since I
was such a tomboy. Nice trip down memory
lane.
Posted By: Patricia on the river
Yes, I remember the metal ones with the
clicking latch. And of course, I had a snoopy
one! Wish I still had it!
Good memories. Especially the ding dongs. My
kids wouldn't even know what a ding dong was,
times have changed from the lunches I had to
what my kids eat! Maybe we'll have to get
ding dongs at least once, just for a special
treat!
melissa @ the inspired room
http://theinspiredroom.wordpress.com
Posted By: melissa @ the inspired room
What a wonderful story, it brought back so
many good memories of lunches and the
excitement of seeing what had been packed
away.
Posted By: Roberta Ann
In 3rd grade, 1979, the Little House on the
Prairie style lunch pails were really
popular amongst the girls at my school. I was
so excited to get one! I still miss it.
This story brings back pleasant memories...I wish I had
kept my Julia lunchbox!! Those were the days!!! Maybe I'll
try to get it back (one just like it) one of these days.
Thanks for jogging my memory!!
Posted By: Renee
Oh my, these are gorgeous, am off to explore
your links. Thank you!
Posted By: Mariana: http://www.floatinglemons.com
Yes, like an involuntary reflex we are drawn
to boxes, containers, anyhing that can hold
our treaures whether it's your favorite PB&J
and a luusious piece of spice cake that you
can trade for just about anything you want.
Or your arts and craft supplies. Love the
metal lunchbox. Sadly, I was in high school
when Star Trek was populat and obviously way
too cool for a lunchbox. But about 7 years
ago I found one on Ebay and now it proudly
holds some craft supplies.
Posted By: Barbra
Oh my, I think I had that same Lost in Space
lunch box! That really brings back great
memories. The zippered ones of today just
aren't as fun as what we had. I remember it
was a big deal, going to k-mart and picking
out a lunch box each year!
Posted By: Suzy http://www.georgiapeachez.typepad.com
Lost in Space? Now that sure takes me back.
Posted By: http://lisatutmanoglesby.typepad.com/my_weblog/
I don't have any of my old lunch boxes, but I
did save my kids. (Garfield, Little
Mermaid,My Little Pony).I ate lunch in the
cafeteria a couple of times a week and I
remember thinking it would be more cool to
have a paper bag I could decorate rather than
the lunch box I had.I really think it might
have been a red plaid lunch box that I wasn't
so crazy about.
Posted By: Meg
This year as I was preparing my youngest for
her junior year of college I asked if there
was anything else she need. She stated that
she would have a work study job that ran
through the lunch hour and could we perhaps
go shopping for a cute lunch box for her to
use. We had a great time full of memories of
previous lunch boxes that were bought in
years past.
Posted By: Nina
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