paging Sheila!

So, I went down to our vendeteria (in which they have FINALLY repaired the snack vending machine; it was broken for like two weeks). I needed some kind of lunch-supplement, having somehow wound up with a yogurt and raisins (????) as the sole occupants of my lunch kit.

And they had Cracker Jacks in the machine. And I love me some Cracker Jacks, even if most of the prizes now are crap. (Temporary tattoos: not so fun once you pass the age of 10.)

Anyway, the prize surprised me for a change.

It's a little booklet. You open it up and there's a drawing - sort of a nondescript, could-be-any-era teenaged boy. And there's a little story, telling you you are supposed to guess who he grew up to be.

It starts out: "The island of Nevis in the West Indies is where I was born."

And I thought...gee, that sounds familiar.

Here's the rest:

The island of Nevis in the West Indies is where I was born. Unfortunately, I didn't have a very happy childhood. My brother and I were abandoned by our fathe when I was eight and my mother died when I was eleven, leaving us homeless and penniless. Before she died, however, my mothe had taught me the value of determination and perserverence. These traits, along with my education in commerce, law, and politics, would serve me well after I came to America

.

Yup...thanks in part to Sheila's obsession (well, one of them), I guessed it.

On the other side of the drawing there are little things you fold in to see the face as an adult - powdered wig and all. (Yes, it's Alexander Hamilton! Sheila's dead boyfriend!)

They do refer to the duel but only at the very end. Mostly it's about the "power of determination." (yeah, yeah, snicker.)I suppose the idea is to teach the snot-nosed brats something while they eat their popcorn and peanuts, but I have to admit I get a little tired of every Illustrious Life being held up as "Look, this person embodies this trait."

I also like how they elided over the fact that he was a bastard. Although, given the way our society is today, that might even be a stronger argument for "the power of determination" - "My momma wasn't married to her baby daddy and look! I still wound up on the $10 bill"

At any rate - it made me chuckle a little. What are the chances of finding an Alexander Hamilton face-foldy toy in a random pack of Cracker Jacks?