Elder in my pocket

I love the image of a wise older person sticking out of my pocket to share pieces of wisdom with me! This little post, however, is about how I like to always have a few pieces of elderflower hard candy on me whenever I go out. At first, the only reason for having candy in my backpack was the usual: You never know when you’ll have a sudden sore throat or a simple candy craving. When the pandemic started, there was an added reason: I realized just how often I abruptly have to cough from a dry throat – something you definitely want to avoid at a time when everyone is afraid of catching an infectious virus, of which coughing is a common symptom. Whenever I can’t easily take out my water bottle (or had to leave it at home because of strict security), a piece of candy usually does the trick. It’s not always elderflower candy, though; in Japan, I always had a few pieces of vitamin candy in my bag. These days, I supplement elderflower candy with lemon candy for more variety. I wonder what it’ll be in the next place…
To get back to the image of an elder in my pocket: I’m actually such a proponent of carrying hard candy for all kinds of situations that whenever I hear a friend cough or complain about an aching throat or a looming cold, I leap to their side and offer them a piece of candy (just like I imagine a wise elder would), and if they accept, I’ll give them an extra two or three, just in case. I usually carry so much candy that I’ve been a short-term personal plague prevention provider for more than one friend or colleague who felt sick but didn’t benefit from elder in their own pocket. I guess this behavior contributes to my, at times, being considered “the granny” of my friend group. Why can’t I be “the cool one” like the duck?