by Hannah Lauder

Created on: June 04, 2009   Last Updated: June 09, 2009

McDonald's; there is barely a person on Earth who has not heard of that notorious institution. It stands for so many things: greed, unbridled world capitalism, and shameless advertising methods. And lest we forget: wealth, prosperity, comfort, happy memories and good times. Not surprisingly, they've encouraged the latter. Embarrassingly enough for me, I associate it with the warm fuzzies.

I remember the birthday parties I had there. After being showered with fabulous gifts, my classmates and I repaired to the playplace, where we frolicked in the brightly-colored plastic ball pit and plastic tubing. All the while, smiling, friendly adults prepared the cake included in the party package, decorated with friends from McDonald land, simply lovable trademarked characters, always happy, always shoving burgers down their similing throats.

We would go there as a treat in general. McDonald's is an easy treat. After all, the majority of small children are easy to please. Happy Meals with little plastic toys. Oh dear, the Beanie Baby craze, how can anyone forget? I recall being absolutely peeved that I got the stupid goldfish several times running. Everyone had the stupid goldfish. Not that it stopped there. The father of my best friend would never release those cheap, poor little toys from their plastic packaging. Determined that each and every one was a collector's item, he stowed them away in a special box in his closet, along with everything else destined to be a collector's item. Yet they never quite met that glorious fate.

And at other times, when we could convince our father - who was easily convinced by his two darling little ones - we would go through the drive-thru simply for a vanilla ice cream cone. I can't deny that it was terribly alluring. The artificial soft-serve had a specific taste and texture that was simply delicious, though better ice creams scream for attention.

McDonald's is a horrible money making machine, shameless, ruthless, and a naughty naughty boy. It owns a good portion of the world. And we let it. We cannot deny or resist. We could go on and on about the world. Still, wherever warm fuzzies are to be found, well - might as well take them.

Being a smidgen older now, that magic McDonald's has always told me it possesses has vanished. I find it bland, boring food really. But I'll shove it down my throat when I'm a bit sad.

(Once in a while...)

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