RELIVIGN CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

First let me say that I have been a toy collector for many years and I have a large collection. This is not about that this is about how little things stir those long forgotten memories from your childhood.

Not all that long ago me and my wife went to a small comic convention in San Antonio, TX and saw a lot of vintage toys, mostly 80's stuff and newer. Looking over the area I found the HE-MAN figure Rokkon in a bin of loose figures for two dollars. Told my wife I had one as a kid that meant a lot to me and I moved on. For the rest of the time we were there I looked around, bought a couple of old Transformers (my main collection). After we left we sat down at Wendy's and my wife gave me the Rokkon figure that I had commented on along with Stonedar. Now to understand I am 6ft 2 inch and 300 lb guy who considers himself to be pretty tuff most of the time, but this almost brought me to tears. Years ago my mom and dad had bought me this figure and I carried it with me everywhere. I would take it with us when we went to restaurants, doctors and everything not to sure why it meant so much to me then but I know why it means so much to me know. It also got me to thinking about some of the other figures from the past.

These next two mean the most to me. First one was years ago I think 84 or 85 not to sure me and my mom were as Best (a catalog store very much out of business as far as I know) and she was doing her thing I think getting a washer or something and I was looking at the toy section in the catalog of course and I asked mom, as we all did, “can I have one” and her response was of course “no”, she after all is a mom. Well after she gave the lady her order we were waiting for the washer and the lady came back with a brand new TRANSFORMER Swoop in box. I was thinking some lucky kid is getting the figure I wanted. Next thing I know my mom takes the figure and puts it in my hands and said not to tell my dad. I played with him all the way home; he fast became my favorite figure for years to come. He still sits on a shelf right above my desk in a place of honor with a couple of others. One I am about to tell you about.

First let me say that we moved a lot when I was growing up about every three years, for me it seemed like a lot. Making new friends all the time was a pain but that is what childhood was all about. Well one year I went from California to Texas to visit my grandparents for the summer. Spent time out there and they drove me back through the Grand Canyon and such. Well when it came time to head back home I was worried because I didn't know where home was, I never saw it or knew where my parents had moved to while I was gone. On the last night of the trip my grandpa pulled into a little grocery store parking lot in the middle of nowhere and said we would wait until my dad got off of work and follow him to the new house. Well I fell asleep and woke up when we got to the new house. Well it was an RV on a piece of land with a house being built; it was late at night or early in the morning depending at how you look at things. My mom came out and gave me a big hug and I sat down as everyone started talking I just wanted something that was mine because everything was different now; my mom went inside and got me a soda (witch was a treat for me at the time) and a little box addressed to me.

It was my TRANSFORMER mail away figure Overdrive I don't remember w whole lot from the rest of the night but my mom said I fell asleep with him in my hand and she had a hard time putting me to bed holding on to the figure. Yes to answer any guest ions I do still have him he sits next to swoop.

Now this has been a little reminder to everyone out there that yes toy collecting is at times childish but the good things it brings out are well worth the price. When I was telling my mom about what my wife did she said she bairly remembered the figure and that it was a reminder of some good times we had. As I told her this story about the other figures that did the same thing to me she started to cry saying that for so long she only remembered the bad things from that time in our lives, (my dad was a scumbag that put us through a lot of crap thanks to drugs) the toys that sit on a shelf helped me and my mom remember good times in a era that only the crap seemed to surface. Next time you are at a yard sale or cleaning out some old stuff weather it is yours or your kids take a moment and look back in your heart and see if anything comes from an old forgotten memory with a child plaything.

Thank you to all who took the time to read this and I am open for any suggestions or comments on this, thank you again.