The Huckster

When I was a kid, a pickup truck would drive through the streets in the Summer selling produce. The Huckster. The driver would announce his stock over a scratchy megaphone "SWEET CORN! I GOT SWEET CORN!... FRESH JERSEY TOMATOES!..."

It was a guaranteed fixture every Summer. And the suburban neighborhood where we lived didn't act like it was an oddity at all. A dusty old farmer selling from an old run-down truck. And we bought.

Yesterday I heard someone on a megaphone. I couldn't make out the words. I at first thought It's related to the elections or something. Then I thought Is there some kind of emergency? Like the old sci fi movies where the police would roll down the streets announcing the Martians were coming. Nope - it was a huckster. Can't tell you how huge my smile was. It was crazy. I haven't heard a voice like that in a long long time. And the kicker - he yelled "CANDY APPLES! A DOLLAR! CANDY APPLES!"

He was at the end of the block and drove through at a quick pace. And he never came up our street.

So I figured a great song by Chris Smither was in order.

Click below:

Image by lovbrkthru.