The Wiener Wagon 

You’ll never guess what a friend of mine saw the other day while driving through Pennsylvania. Hmmmmmm, was it a famous movie star, a superstar athlete, an honest politician, a meteor ? No, no, no….. do you give up? Okay I’ll tell you…. he saw the “Wiener Wagon”. I’m serious the “Wiener Wagon” is still out on the road; almost 90 years since it first arrived on the scene in 1936. I go way back with the “wagon”. 

Back in the early ‘70’s I was talking with a fellow student at a night school class. As we got to know each other, he revealed that he used to drive the “Wiener Wagon” as a summer job. He and little Oscar, who happened to be a midget, traveled thru the country and rode in parades representing Oscar Meyer. He mentioned that the Wiener Wagon had a big engine and was pretty fast and they would drag race other cars at night. Yikes, think of the sight as you look out your window and this giant hot dog is racing down the street. He also mentioned that Little Oscar was somewhat irascible; as you think about it, who could blame him. 

So what’s the message Dave? Is there a point to this BLOG? How are we tying the Wiener Wagon to the scriptures and teachings of Jesus. Hmmmmm, give me a second…. let me thing…let me think. 

Well, it has to do with my “selective memory”. There are many important things that I experienced during my life that I hardly remember and there are other unimportant things that I can remember even the smallest detail. Why is that? Let me give you an example. Yesterday I saw that Blessed William Joseph Chaminade was featured in an article in the Magnificat (ref. Magnificat, 3-10-23). Fr. Chaminade survived persecution during the French Revolution and in 1817 founded the Society of Mary, usually called the Marianists; he was beatified by Pope John Paul II in the year 2000.  I went to Chaminade High School in St. Louis founded in 1910 by the Marianists. To be honest I really don’t recall much about Fr. Chaminade  including his devotion to the Blessed Mother and St. Joseph. Somehow I can remember details about the Wiener Wagon and draw a blank about the devotions of Fr. Chaminade. When something catches my interest, my brain kicks in and I usually remember it; on the other hand if I’m not interested I don’t remember. So, here’s the point.” If we want to teach our kids or grandkids or anyone something important, we need to first capture their interest…letting them know why this fact is important. There’s more to learning than this, but this is part of it. If I’m interested, I listen… and if I listen, I remember. 

I know this is a “Rambling BLOG” and it needs to be more concise, but I’m out of time, so it is what it is. I do know one thing ……. if Fr. Chaminade had driven the Wiener Wagon with Little Oscar down Lindberg Blvd. in St. Louis, I would have remembered a lot more about his life and teachings. The End.