Remembering the ‘Penny Candy’ Store in Little Compton That Made My Childhood Complete

Remember penny candy? I can recall the memories as if they were yesterday.

It was the Summer of 1995 and the air was thick and sticky. My great-grandmother, Vavo, would watch me at her quaint farmhouse while my parents worked. Times back then were much simpler- no cell phones, no internet, no social media, just good old-fashioned outdoor play.

As my mother would drop me off in the morning, the smells of kale soup filled the air as the news would play in the background from her 25-inch television. The start of the day was slow. Vo would make me toast with a glass of milk as I began making plans for the day. There weren't any kids my age (besides when my older cousin, Eddie, came around), so I had to play solo.

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For some odd reason, I enjoyed playing with cat food cans, stacking them into castles and buildings.

As 10:00 AM approached and my Vo's daily chores were caught up, she would sometimes offer to drive me down the street to F.A. Simmon's by the corner of Crandall and Main Street for some "penny candy". It was music to my ears and a sweet feast for my tastebuds.

It's funny how much .75 cents could get you back in the '90s. 75 pieces of candy was a goldmine for a kid, but I wasn't allowed to eat it all at once. It was my sugary allowance for the week that I was there and something to look forward to. I can still remember my eyes scrolling up and down the plastic containers of Tootsie Rolls and Swedish Fish. "Five of those and three of those, please" I would tell the clerk. I'm pretty sure Blow Pop lollipops and"lucky lights" candy cigarettes were .5 cents but was worth grabbing at least one of each.

Don't ask me what prompted this flashback, but I'm fortunate to still have this core memory of something so simple. Life was so laid back and easy as a kid and a little candy here and there made it that much sweeter.

The world needs more penny candy.