When I was a kid we called the current favorite food "pizza pie". Somewhere in the seventies "pie" was dropped. But I still often think of it as pizza pie, because of a memory from all the way back when I was in first grade.
My elementary school was only a couple of blocks from where I lived. It was only a couple of blocks from where every kid in the school lived. Consequently all kids were sent home at lunch time! And moms were all there with a nice hot lunch ready for us! And then we all walked back to school after lunch. Seems pretty amazing these days. I don't recall a single crossing guard either.
Anyway, all this is to say that when I walked home there was a certain boy who used to follow me and taunt me the whole way. "Lisa pizza pie!" he would jeer. He was bigger than me, but somehow I didn't feel threatened. In fact, I didn't seem to mind it at all. It was just this kid who thought my name and this novel Italian food went together.
What's funny is that I'm not sure I knew what pizza pie was. I can't tell you this boy's name either. I don't remember what he looked like. I don't know if he was in my grade. He must have lived in the neighborhood, but now he only lives in my memory, still calling out, "Lisa pizza pie" while I plod home for a steaming bowl of Campbell's chicken noodle soup or a peanut butter and jelly.
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