Strolling along the bustling streets of my hometown, the echoing thunder of war still reverberating within me. The sights and smell of blood and sweat remain etched into my memory as scars on my soul. Propaganda lined the streets like a sinister backdrop of a past life I once knew. But beyond the mass media madness, I paused upon a trio of green stained glass bottles.

These bottles had a steep contour upon the neck with round pillars lining the body with an ashy vignette for a vintage flare. The poster was held upon the old family diner, I headed inside to pick the owner's brain on the new decor. 

“Rocky! How are we doing old fella?” 

The diner cheered upon my entrance.

“ My boys back from the war!” said with his Italian flare

greeted with a hefty hug.

“Buddy, I have to ask you. What in Lincoln's green land hangs on the window?” I question.

"Ah lad, that there's the latest ad for the new 'Coca-Cola' bottles created by the leading figure in the Pop Art movement, Mr.Andy Warhol, " said Rocky.

“Andy Warhol? I've never heard that name in my life,” said with southern curve.

“Mr. Warhol created that poster because he criticized the consumerist idols and surface values of the “Postwar” culture. No matter where or when you bought it, it's paid the same.” 

“Well, what kinda help does that do for us? If it's always the same then what's the point?”

“My fine lad, Coca-Cola has made more than Gatsby and that green light.” said sarcastically.

I stood still absorbing Rocky's words, I couldn't help but feel a sudden ache of reminiscence mixed with peculiarity. Andy Warhol—a name I found so foreign, yet incredibly significant enough to embellish the exterior of Rocky's diner. I glanced back at the poster, studying the vibrant ruby dye on the trademarked “Coca-Cola” title and the seemingly tedious subject matter of those glass bottles, now understanding there was more than meets the eye. 

Rocky must have noticed my contemplation, he leaned in, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial tone. 

“You see, son, Warhol’s art aint just about Coca-Cola. It's about the culture, the society we are living in. It's a reflection on how were all chasing after these manufactured ideals, these symbols of wealth and success, yet at the end of the day, it's all surface value.`` 

His words struck a chord within me, resonating with the conflict I felt between the wartime experiences etched into my very being and the consumer-driven world I found myself in this very moment. But before I could delve deeper into the philosophical implications of Warhol's work, a commotion at the entrance caught our attention.

A group of young teenagers, dressed in the latest fashion chatting excitedly, entered the diner. Their eyes immediately pierced the Warhol poster, as one of them exclaimed, “Aye, isn't that the new Coke ad? That's sick!”

“Sick indeed, kiddo. But remember, sometimes there is more to art than meets the eye. Let's take a closer look, and you just might find a whole new world of meaning behind those bottles.” 

As the young men continued to admire the poster, I couldn't help but smile. Perhaps there was hope for this generation, a new opportunity for them to look beyond the surface and appreciate the deeper layers that add to our lives.

Leaving the diner, the repetition of Warhol's message reminded me…

“A Coke is a Coke and no amount of money can get you a better Coke than the one the bum on the corner is drinking.”

 - Andy Warhol