When I was in the second or third grade (early 1970s), I used to carry a "Partridge Family" lunchbox to school. I do realize that this makes me suspect but back in the day, the Partridge Family was considered a "hip" show among the 7-12 year-old demographic.
I did not get beat up by other kids back then for carrying such a lunchbox but I would today. My typical lunch back then was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich - cut diagonally by my mother and tucked inside a plastic sandwich bag, along with an apple (that I usually threw away) and maybe a Twinkie or a Ding-Dong. The thermos was full of milk and by the time lunch came around, it was starting to get a little warm. But I drank it anyhow.
Everybody seemed to tote a lunch to school in those days. We had a cafeteria but no "hot lunches" were provided. They make such a big deal out of hot lunches today but somehow I got myself an education just the same without them.
Speaking of The Partridge Family, I penned a letter to Reuben Kincaid. I wanted to join the band. I figured they could use a drummer (the one they had sucked and never said much on the show anyways) or somebody to bang on a tambourine. I didn't know what a cowbell was back then but perhaps they could have used more of it back in the day. I would have been happy to oblige with some cowbell had the opportunity presented itself.
I would have done anything to join the Partridge Family. I figured that my letter to Reuben Kincaid would do the trick and I envisioned that he would sent the multi-colored bus - with Shirley driving - would pull up in front of my house and take me away from my drab life. Then I could hang out with Danny Partridge and shoot spitballs into Lori's hair. I could get tips from Keith on how to pick up girls and perhaps I could make a move on Tracy, who I had a bit of a crush on.
But that never came to be. Rueben let me down. Instead of being welcomed into the Partridge Family, instead I received a form letter in the mail with an 8x10 glossy of Keith (yuck) and an invitation to join the Partridge Family Fan Club.
You could say it was my "Drink your Ovaltine" moment. A little bit of my innocence died that day and I was a little bit more cynical about the world going forward.