‘Because’ didn’t cut it
This is another blast from the past, and one from ‘The Final Carrot’ days. I am always amazed at the level of detail that is stored away in our memories, if only we look hard enough. I do remember getting so frustrated when I was told that I couldn’t have something or wasn’t allowed to do something, because one or both of my brothers had been afforded that liberty in the past, and it had gone badly.
I still remember both of the toys I mention with incredible detail. The spinning top was a 5th birthday present, and I used to love the feeling of satisfaction when I got it spinning really quickly. As for the plastic safe, I was 7, when I got that as a Christmas present. When I think about that moment that my dad threw the empty box on the fire, I’m instantly transported back into our living room on that Christmas morning. My godparents are there, and everyone is enjoying a glass of Harveys Bristol Cream, and saying “Oh, I shouldn’t, but go on then”, as they accept the offer of a 2nd or 3rd mince pie.
Happy times, indeed!
‘Because’ didn’t cut it
So many memories, so many different toys
Through them, my childhood comes flooding back
Though some would argue, that I’m still in it
Not all of them I ever owned, of course
No, I remember the ones that I coveted too
They can be the most vivid of memories
Experiencing again, that urgent sense of longing
I also remember my repetitive pleas
Whiny tones of “why?”
Why can’t I have a chemistry set?
Or an ‘Action Man’ or ‘Battling Tops’
Or whatever I’d seen, in my mother’s catalog
My fingers would trace over the images
As I pictured myself, excitedly unwrapping them
On a Christmas or birthday morning
“Because of your brother”
“He nearly burned the house down” came the reply
With the chemistry set, that is
Action Man remains innocent, until proven guilty
Somehow, that answer never really satisfied me
Two toys that I did own
Which come to mind now
Bring a smile to my face
As I dig deep into my memory
The first was a spinning top
It had a track and train inside, and as you spun it
The train would go in the opposite direction
And the top would let out a high-pitched whistle
Which always seemed to bother my parents
And I would gently be encouraged
To play with something else
The other was a plastic money box
In the form of a safe
It was my first dweebish challenge
My first hacking / safe-cracking experience
But don’t worry, I’m now a reformed character
Opened on a Christmas morning
It was a gift from a cousin
I marveled at the shiny redness of it
Its three satisfyingly clicky dials
And its raised gold lettering
My Dad, one step ahead of my Mum’s desire for tidiness
Threw the packaging on the roaring coal fire
Before I’d had chance to read the combination
Hot tears and angry voices ensued
Declaring it ruined, I was inconsolable
Fortunately, I’d underestimated my own persistence
Which sometimes gets mistaken for anal retentiveness
On combination ‘456’, out of a thousand possibilities
Its door sprung open, and I was happy once more