8...24...48...64 ...128!
Back in the day, for me there was nothing...
that stirred quite the same excited anticipation as...
opening a brand new box of...
Crayola Crayons.
I would flip open the flap on the iconic green and yellow box…
and reveal all those perfectly-pointed mini-magic wands of wax.
All aligned in precision.
Fresh. New.
With a distinct smell of fresh wax…and opportunity.
An extended rainbow of inviting colors and shades...
each with their own imagination-inspiring names:
Burnt Sienna Sea Green, Vermilion, Goldenrod, Aquamarine, Midnight Blue, Indigo,
the precious "Metallics"…
and the non-politically correct “Flesh”.
Of course, all boxes of Crayolas were NOT created equal!
They came in many sizes, each representing another level of status.
There was the almost inconsequential 8-pack…
hardly worth my time.
The 16- and 24-packs began to inspire.
The 48-pack was a “special reward” (for something “good” I had done).
The 64-pack had my heart beating and my head spinning.
And the epic 128 color set!!…
well, that was not for ordinary peasants like me.
And then, there was that one unforgettable day I got a brand new box of 64…
and discovered a life-altering breakthrough!
There…right on the back of the box…
A CRAYON SHARPENER!!
I remember thinking that I was exposed to one of the true genius inventions
of the 20th century!!
My over-used favorite colors, reduced to mere “nubs” of their former glory…
could now be resurrected back to their intensely pointed lives...
with just a few rotations.
A miracle!
My deep and meaningful relationship with crayons took flight very early in life.
Kindergarten.
As a precursor to my life-long need to be liked and popular…
I became an early center-of-attention by biting into and chewing crayons
(along with some occasional paste).
Crowds would gather! Big laughs!
My future sophisticated comedic talent was already quite evident.
As some of you may recall…
Crayola was not the only brand of crayons.
I painfully remember those days when my Mom would take me along
as she went shopping at Alexanders on Fordham Road...
and to keep me busy, she’d find me an open space on the floor
and provide me a coloring book and a box of crayons. BUT…THEY WERE NOT CRAYOLA!!!!
They were the off-brand!!
"Big Top Crayons"!?!
6 easily-breakable, smudgy, harsh colors…usually “packaged” with a cheesy 4-page coloring book...
with “connect the dots”...
and some lame picture of a smiling elephant balancing a giant ball on its trunk.
Ewwww!
I remember being nervous that someone would see me using these faux crayons
and pity me for being a poor, underprivileged street urchin.
When it came to coloring books, I had a veritable “library”.
My favorites were those based on real people….
Abbott & Costello, Jackie Gleason, Bob Hope, Zorro (he was real, wasn’t he?)
But my absolute favorite was a coloring book I got when my family went to
a special showing of the movie, Ben Hur...
I especially loved coloring the pages that featured the leper colony….
you could use ANY skin color!!!
Would love to hear your colorful crayon memories.
