July’s Contemplation: Keeping Cool in a Heated World
Monthly Post #1

I wrote a couple deep-dive posts this month on how to stay cool in a heated world. It is July after all. But then I set them aside. Maybe I’ll post them later. Maybe not. For today, I decided to instead stay above water and write about ice cream. How deep can ice cream go after all? Not to mention, July is National Ice Cream Month and today is National Ice Cream Day (third Sunday). 

Not an Ice Cream Lover. I suppose a sweaty summer month is a good time to celebrate refreshing ice cream. Personally, I’m not a big ice cream lover. I can literally go into an ice cream shop, not order anything, and be just fine watching everyone else eat theirs. This is not for any reason in particular. I am just not a fan. When I do partake, I always request a small cup and 95 percent of the time, I order plain and simple vanilla. Sometimes I order peanut butter. 

My apathy toward ice cream baffles me because I grew up drinking milk. So much so, someone once told me I should invest in a dairy cow, that it would probably pay off. One time in high school, my boyfriend treated me to Pizza Hut. He ordered soda, or “pop” as they say in northwest Missouri. I ordered milk. 

“Nobody drinks milk with pizza,” he said with a look of near disgust. 

“I do,” I said. And gulped my milk while later eating my pepperoni pizza.

Ice Cream Stats. There is a significant amount of ice cream-loving people in my life so I can appreciate this passion. In fact, according to the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) Americans love their ice cream, consuming on average 22 pounds per person per year. That’s a lot of ab flab. 

The good news, according to the IDFA, is that ice cream contributes billions of dollars to our economy, supports nearly 29,000 jobs, and has historically been a key feature of American communities. And get this, “most ice cream companies are family-owned and have been in operation for more than 50 years!” Pun or no pun, I think that is more than cool. 

A Favorite Ice Cream Shop. If I had to choose a favorite family-owned ice cream company, I would have to plug Wondermade in Sanford, Florida. I’m not getting any kickbacks for that little vote of confidence. Coming from someone who rarely treats herself to ice cream, Wondermade’s homemade ice cream is worth the plunge. Besides, I love their story!

“Days before Christmas 2011, Wondermade co-founder Nathan Clark was stuck without a gift for his wife. Thanks to a well-timed piece on NPR about the benefits of eating candy (really!) he stumbled onto the idea to give his wife, Jenn, a candy thermometer and a recipe for marshmallows.” And…you’ll have to go to their site to read the rest of this entrepreneurial sweetness. 

The Proclamation. NOW, THEREFORE, I, RONALD REAGAN, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim July 1984 as National Ice Cream Month and July 15, 1984, as National Ice Cream Day, and I call upon the people of the United States to observe these events with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

So go ahead my momentous friends, stay cool in this heated world today and take a deep dive into ice cream with appropriate ceremonies and activities. I plan to do a little self-care Sunday and visit Wondermade today. Maybe I’ll see you there. 

Happy National Ice Cream Day!