A Lime Slush at Sonic

DO THEY HAVE ANYTHING like "Sonic Drive In" fast food restaurants in countries other than the United States? Or is sitting in a car and receiving food and drink brought to you one of those "only in America" things? If so, the rest of the world is missing out, as usual. Older people will remember when American went to a movie theatre, and watched movies while sitting in their cars. NO matter what you want to do, you can do it in a car, as any American high schooler knows...the other day I was sitting in my car, as usual, at the Sonic drive in. I was hungry and thirsty, as usual. The Mozzearella fried cheese sticks looked good, but would that be enough? Enough cholestoral, yes. Deciding on a beverage was, as usual, a no brainer. There was only one choice; the Route 44 lime slush, extra tart. This is my daily happy hour special, and for many months, of all the many Sonic drive thru restaurants in my area, only one seemed able and willing to make it extra tart. Then, I found another, closer to where I live. I began frequenting it. The young lady brought the sonic burger, cheese sticks and slush, smilingly. I took a sip of the drink while she handed the brown paper sack to me. A sip. Fear and disappointment. Another sip, and confirmation. The extra tart juice was missing. I explained to the young lady that the tartness had evidently been omitted, and would it be possible for her to take the drink back inside, add the tartness, and I was very very sorry for the inconvenience. Sorry, but not sorry enough to overlook it. With a pained expression, she sullenly explained that once an order of food or drink leaves the building, it is not allowed to return, for any reason. Company policy, government regulations, that sort of thing. I desisted, and told her not to worry, I come every day, and nineteen out of twenty aint bad. She offered to add lemon slices, and I declined. We parted on good terms, but my disappointment lingered. My entire afternoon had now changed. That pleasant unrest deep in my digestive system would have to wait until the morrow. Not good. I drove away , in a bit of a pout. Then, a few minuts later and several miles down the road, it hit me. That glorious explosion of extreme tartness slammed onto my taste buds, and I was again happy! The extra tart juice was there, all right, but it had not been stirred throughout the drink, and was sitting clumped up in one lonely place at the bottom of the styrofoam cup. All was well again. Then I began to feel silly, as a sudden sense of my spoiled nature belatedly dawned. A world full of billions of people who have no access to lime slushes, and here I was, or had been, pouting about the fact that, once in twenty attempts, they had not gotten it exactly right. It would serve me right to to receive a cup full of plain crushed ice, without any flavoring at all, or to have a cup thrown in my face. Picky picky! Its always easy to find a way to rationalize our bad behavior, our self absorbed, childish impulses. My excuse? I'm an American!