The healing power of a kiss and a Band-Aid

The more things change, the more they remain the same. And for that, I will be eternally grateful.

There are so many wonderful things that have remained unchanged in past decades.

Things that provide me with joy and comfort, things that provide pleasure, things that calm me down and things that remind me of the best of times.

Simple things, like anchovy or Marmite toast, or Milo on a cold morning, a box of Smarties, the impossibility of peeling a mango without making a mess, the feel of sea sand underfoot, the smell of an igniting Lion match as it’s struck against the side of the box.

The list continues.

Two events occurred during the past week which reminded me of magic moments that seemed to have faded into the realm of the forgotten.

The first was hearing the slightly distorted tune blaring from the speaker attached to the Kombi selling soft-serve ice cream.

I have no idea where that tune originated, but in the five decades I have been eating ice cream, that tune has remained constant.

I suppose it’s also highlighted by the fact that it sounds like the tune is looped on a slightly stretched tape. As a child, that sound was like the tune played by the Pied Piper of Hamelin. No child could resist it. Even if we didn’t have a cent, we’d still run outside and stare at the Kombi crawling past.

Last week, as the Kombi snailed past our house, I couldn’t resist. Was I surprised to see they still have the exact same cones, ice cream and red syrup?

I also had a small mishap last week, cutting my finger on a piece of rusted wire. Nothing serious, but enough to elicit a few power words from my mouth and a few drops of blood from my finger.

My dog, flabbergasted by the little commotion, rushed towards me and before I could explain the situation, he gave my finger a lick.

As I disinfected the little cut and covered it with a plaster, I realised that was another thing that hasn’t changed at all: the healing power of a kiss and a Band-Aid, even if the kiss is from your dog.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.