Generations of young television viewers squeal with delight as the blue, furry &8220;monster&8221; who lives on Sesame Street grumbles his singularly simplistic life desire: &8220;Me want cookie.&8221;

When it all boils down to it, isn&8217;t that just a wonderful way of looking at the world? Instant gratification.

While the lovable, if sometimes selfish, Cookie Monster merely wants cookies, a devoted band of logistical wizards in the area make that wish come true &8212; thousands of times over.

The work began months ago as the diminutive divas of dough set out to make their plan and learn valuable lessons in the process.

Approximately 150 area young girls, ages 6 to 15, set their sights on the stomachs of the Adams County. The lure of a Girl Scout Cookie is just too much to pass up.

And the local scouts know it all too well.

This year, 16 different troops of local Girl Scouts expect to sell more than 23,000 boxes of the famous cookies.

The cookie sale is an annual tradition across the United States, dating back to 1917. Selling cookies started just five years after the inception of the Girl Scouts and in the nearly 90 years since, the cookie legend had grown.

Initially, cookies were just homemade cookies, created with small hands in their mother&8217;s kitchens.

By the 1930s, the popularity had grown to such an extent that a national baker had to be found.

The cookie flavors plumped up in the 1950s with a small handful of choices.

Today, cookie munchers can choose between eight different varieties.

Denise Ford, who helps coordinate the local cookie effort, says she&8217;s seen her share of cookies.

&8220;I&8217;ve been doing it too long,&8221; she says with a laugh before admitting that she&8217;s been coordinating the effort for approximately 10 years.

&8220;This is just something I like to do,&8221; she said.

Her involvement began when her daughters, now 25 and 23 years old, were involved in the Girl Scouts.

Her daughters, like millions of other Girl Scouts had to sell at least one box to earn their cookie badge. Selling more can earn the girls prizes and monetary rewards. It&8217;s not uncommon for one local girl to sell between 500 and 1,000 boxes.

Ford said the army of Girl Scouts and volunteers do amazing work distributing the cookies post haste.

After orders are taken, and the total order is made, the cookies are shipped to a local church where the cases are broken down and distributed to the individual scouts.

&8220;We get them in and out of there within four hours,&8221; Ford said.

In case you&8217;re counting that&8217;s just under 6,000 boxes per hour or just under 100 boxes per minute.

So what&8217;s the Miss-Lou&8217;s favorite flavor?

&8220;They like the Samoas and the Shortbreads. They&8217;re usually our top sellers,&8221; Ford said.

Nationally, however, the Thin Mints are king, garnering approximately 25 percent of all sales. Ford is a Lemon Cooler fan, oh and the Shortbreads, too.

Looking at the Girl Scout Cookie with only a sweet tooth and ignoring a sharp eye is seeing only part of the real picture.

While on the surface, the cookie drive is a fundraiser to help support local troops&8217; efforts; Ford said the process is much more.

&8220;It&8217;s not just about cookies, and it&8217;s not just about fundraising,&8221; she said. &8220;It teaches them financial skills, selling techniques, safety skills and setting goals and priorities. There&8217;s a lot of learning techniques involved.

&8220;They do know how to manage and keep track of what they purchase,&8221; she said.

If all this cookie chatter has you yearning for a sugar fix, not to worry. &8220;It&8217;s not too late,&8221; Ford said.

Anyone who hasn&8217;t purchased cookies and who doesn&8217;t know a Girl Scout, can call Ford at 601-445-4329 or Frances Bailey at 601-445-4189 and they can help get your cookie fix satisfied.

OK, now I&8217;m hungry. Maybe that Sesame Street guy was right.

&8220;Me want cookie.&8221;

Kevin Cooper

is associate publisher of The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at 601-445-3539 or

kevin.cooper@natchezdemocrat.com

.