This summer tradition is still going strong in New Jersey

It’s one of the only sounds that everyone across the Northeast United States will recognize.

Maybe you’re in your living room or on the back deck. Or at the local park or pool in your town. Or maybe you’re just out for an evening walk. No matter where you are, this sound will stop you in your tracks.

I’m talking about Mister Softee. Last week I had the euphoric experience of finding him.

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I live pretty close to a big neighborhood, and every day I’ll do an evening walk through it to get some easy cardio in. Last week on my walk, I heard the Mister Softee music and made sure I found him.

Thankfully, he stayed in one spot long enough for me to catch up and get some ice cream.

Nothing beat the feeling you got as a kid when you heard the Mister Softee truck coming. Your parents would give you a couple of bucks and you’d sprint in the direction of the truck to get whatever ice cream you wanted.

Whether you’re an adult who still thinks like a kid (like me) or you’re an adult who has kids and gets to live vicariously through them, I like to think that we all have the same natural reaction when we hear the Mister Softee music.

When I found him last week, there was a line of about six people deep, and it ranged from children to adults who just wanted to get their sweet treat too. No matter the age, we all love ice cream.

It’s one of the purest traditions we still have. In an age where everyone is preoccupied by their phone, Mister Softee is one of the only things that can make us drop whatever we’re doing and live in the moment when we hear that sound.

So bring on the summer, and never change, Mister Softee.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5's Kyle Clark. Any opinions expressed are his own.

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