The Real Thing

I was pleasantly surprised by the new Coke litro-sized bottle. Well, most likely  not new at all, but just saw it when we feasted over lechon baka for lunch (!) in the office a few days ago. Coke brings a lot of good old memories in a personal way . never fond of the soda but just the thought of how THE company has been an instrument in raising a family of 13 children speaks a lot of goodwill (even up to now , a cousin is also working for the company). My lolo Paking, of my mother side , to me was the ultimate salesman. I can recall, from my mom, how his sales exploits brought him to various places in Mindanao, and yes,  a child - two or more, were born in one of those.  From him I learned the value of treasuring family ties – going out on weekends, treating us, the grandchildren with hot bowls of oatmeal, and if  we could’ve have played back then, he must’ve challenged us with a chess game or scrabble and crossword puzzle.  A hopeless romantic, so poetic with words, it’s not a wonder the offspring came to more than a dozen! From my lola Inday , the meticulous homemaker who gave up her nursing career to keep house,  I learned that a lipstick a day, keeps your man at bay!  Kiddin’ aside, lola Inday always has this regal bearing from the way she dons her daily wardrobe (aka duster dress ) , to the fine lines of her eyebrow makeup all the way to how the lips are painted from pink to red … it was a pure bliss watching her while growing up. How I just wished she’s more of an adventurer.  Up to now she’s so much comfortable in her own nest.  Anyway, if the Coke’s “everyday happiness” ad was coined long time ago,  my mom’s family would be a poster hit. The bottle would always take it’s rightful place in the dining table!

So staring back again at the bottle –

with it's iconic,  vintage design, brings me down to memory lane .. that Coke is it no matter what.  Even recent news show that the well-guarded “secret” recipe is out, no one really cares. Even if it takes a new form to keep up with the ever-changing times (check this out, this young genius’ proposal is really cool), the taste buds still signal the same old feeling that goes to the brain. That truly, more than the soda,  the dozen ads and claims to be the world’s #1 , they really do not matter . What matters to me are the memories brought about by this stately bottle that has been a centerpiece for generations (at least in our home)– shared with laughters and tears, great news and not so great ones, etc etc … Coke truly celebrates the “real thing”!