April 4, 2025: The Pepsi Magic

I’ve never been so hot.

As a teen, I spent my summers working 10-hour shifts at Mr. C’s Car Wash. The North Carolina sun showed no mercy as temps soared into the upper 90s. We didn’t just work — we baked.

By late morning, my coworkers and I had a ritual. We’d sprint across the street to a convenience store, our air-conditioned oasis. Inside waited my hero: a massive 32-ounce fountain drink. Filling my cup with crushed ice and Pepsi, I called it the Bladder Buster.

That giant soda powered me through the concrete inferno. And to this day, I have a weakness for Pepsi. Not only for the flavor, but for the memory of carbonated survival.

That’s how we got it done back in those times… through sweat, grit, and high-fructose corn syrup.

Today I read that Pepsi sales are slipping. In the ‘80s, they gave Coke a real run for the lead. But now they’ve fallen to #3, behind Dr Pepper.

Coke, Pepsi… they taste nearly the same to me. But somewhere deep in my nostalgic heart, I want my fav cola on top. To me, it will always be the “Taste of the Carolinas.”

And my fizzy, emotional support in a cup.