Black Jack

Santa ana, chewing gum and estate planning. What?

The gum, not the card game. Yes, I was one of those baby boomer boys who experienced the joy of growing up with guns blazing on our family TV, 50's Chevy's, and my grandfather supplying me with a steady supply of Black Jack, Beeman's, and Clove chewing gum sticks for many years. I can attribute my less than perfect teeth to being a tiny bit British, the local candy store growing up, and my grandfather always giving me sticks of his chewing gum. Of course, I was more than willing to munch on those gum sticks (I tried to get two) every time I came to visit him and grandmother. And as soon as I popped a fresh stick in my mouth, he would play the clapping monkey on a mantle in his living room while we watched TV together.

My favorite flavor of chewing gum was Black Jack! As a boy, it was fun to have a black tongue and black saliva while chewing that fantastic licorice favored chicle! But did you know it was the first chewing gum brought to America by a famous person? Exiled former Mexican president and general Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna (yes, he was the one in the Alamo fight), sold the chicle he brought with him to New Jersey.  And sold it to Thomas Adams who first tried sarsaparilla (I would have liked that too), then settled with licorice to market the first flavored gum in the US and the first gum offered in sticks. Had I known that Black Jack gum originated from a guy claimed as a "bad guy" and a "good guy", my enjoyment of those chews would have been enhanced even more!

So, this blog post is meant to do some teaching. Do not settle with basic knowledge on a subject, including your estate planning knowledge. Hoping you will just "get by" in trusting only what others say or think or tell you what to do -- could leave your family lacking in one or more areas you could have improved on, had you only known more. (Sadly, we see broken estate plan results weekly) Perhaps it's time to load up and come guns blazing (figurative of course) to a free sit down chat with Financial Strategies, Inc.  (Questions not bullets please) But first, take the time to resource and investigate for yourself and gain the knowledge you need to be able to act intelligently on estate plan decisions. Or any other.

What about Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna? Well he was loved and hated by many and his legend lives on since his death in 1876. Read the "rest of the story" including the fact he was brought to meet President Andrew Jackson as a prisoner. Legend has it that is when he introduced chewing gum to America.  And, for those baby boomers reading this and wondering if you can still buy those gums (including Teaberry) we all chewed as kids, well yes you can. Wreck your teeth all you want by ordering at: Old Time Candy.com

M.D. Anderson