In the process of hunting for old pictures of dear Miss Kudzu, I came across some pretty shocking photos. I figure I should go ahead and get this one out in the open on my own terms; I wouldn’t want any skeletons coming out of the closet in case I ever decide to run for office or something. Brace yourselves:
Your eyes do not deceive you: I was captured on film drinking a Pepsi back in 1992. I’m so ashamed! There’s clearly no accounting for taste in 9-year-old girls.
Though I don’t think anyone needs context on the never-ending Coke vs. Pepsi debate, it is helpful to know that, as a born and bred Atlantan, I was indoctrinated from an early age as to the unquestionable superiority of Coca-Cola products. No doubt my brother-in-law, father-in-law and one of my dearest college buddies — always on the losing side of the soft drink showdown — will relish this most unfortunate slip-up on my part, recorded for posterity.
Team Coke!
From the chipped paint surroundings and the stripey dad-belly, I’d at least hazard a guess that this was taken on one of the Thanksgiving Bays Mountain hikes. And I would also remind you that Kingsport is strong Pepsi country, due to the bottling plant over in Johnson City. So really, you were probably just a victim of your surroundings…
So funny — I had all those time/place details in (you guessed correctly, of course) but then decided to leave them out for the sake of brevity. As I recall Grandma Dot and Grandpa Jim usually stocked Pepsi anyway. This is clearly not my fault.
While denial is a healthy stage, and I have definitely seen flare ups of anger related to this personal struggle, I want you to know that I am here for you, standing ready to hand you a Pepsi when you move into the bargaining stage and squarely face up to your family history and long-hidden personal love for this flavored, carbonated sugared water. Even from this distance, it is a joy to see you acknowledging your long buried true feelings. Welcome to the Pepsi Gneeration!
I saw the picture first and thought you were going with “my parents gave me soda as a baby.”. Clearly in my new parenting, I have forgotten the case of Coke my mom would buy for me every time she went to Price Club. How times have changed.