I can’t believe that I have been writing for two years and I haven’t written anything about 7-11 Day. It was so important to me when I was a teenager and now it flies by just like any other day.

In the late eighties, I worshipped at the altar of the convenience store. I had a car and the best excuse to leave the house and go driving in the car was, “I’m going to get a Swig.” My favorite convenience store was Holiday Oil because they would refill my 32 ounce Big Swig cup for only $39 cents. I used to save enough money so that I could have a couple of swigs every day. I would dispense a squirt of Cherry Coke and fill the rest with Diet Coke. I loved to go Swigging.

Mike Pinkston was the first person to mention 7-11 Day to me. One year, we drove around until the appointed hour, waiting until exactly 7:11 pm to stop at the nearest convenience store that the gods had lead us to. All we did was buy a swig, though, and I had to count out my pennies to do it.

I never truly celebrated it until I started hanging out with Mike Moncur. We created a whole religion around the Cult of the Convenience Store. July 11^th was the primary holiday, but there was a lesser holiday of November 7^th. One year, the two of us bought a cake at Albertson’s. We had it decorated with the phrase, “Happy 7-11 Day!” We drove around the city until the appointed hour and then entered the nearest 7-11, presenting the unimpressed clerk with the cake. I don’t even think we bought a Big Gulp while we were there.

Recently, 7-11 caught on to the fact that they could celebrate and promote themselves on that day. Two years ago, they gave a free small Slurpee to anyone who came in. When we arrived at 7:11 pm (or so, our devotion isn’t as strong as it used to be), the floor was a sticky mess and the clerk looked miserable and tired. I think I bought a bottled water and we refrained from mentioning anything about 7-11 Day.

Ironically, I rarely drink soda anymore. We still hit the convenience stores several times a week for Mike’s caffeine fix, but they have become a place where I feel like I can’t get anything healthy to eat. I guess I’ve fallen away from the Cult of the Convenience Store. I still celebrate 7-11 Day, though.