The Final Chapter...
When I was a kid, there were certain events and places which I took for granted, thinking they would remain untouched forever. Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey Circus was a huge thing for me as a kid, and I appreciate being able to see it a few times at the old Amphitheater. Ringling Brothers no longer exists... neither does the Amphitheater.
I remember saving pennies, nickels, quarters, and every dollar given to me. No, I wasn't saving for one big thing, but a whole bunch of small ones. GI Joe action figures to be exact. No, not the ones that were a foot tall with removable clothes! Those were dolls! I'm talking about the four inch ones, with poseable arms and legs. Sigh, those were the days.
Anyhow, I would save maybe twenty bucks, which was a lot of money to a kid in the eighties! I'd take my hard-earned savings and go to the best place on Earth, Toys R' Us. I'd look at the bikes, the video games, and I'd go and buy three or four GI Joe action figures. For Christmas, my mother would get me vehicles, such as the helicopter, which came with Wild Bill, the pilot. I had the F-15 with Ace, the Cobra Hydrofoil, the GI Joe Hovercraft, and I planned to one day have enough money for the carrier. Yes, the big ass carrier!
But then my interests changed, and girls invaded. Lol. At least that's how I remember it. My story and I'm sticking with it. When I was 18, I was in my first serious, semi-adult relationship, and I made one of the biggest mistakes of my life. It wasn't the first and it won't be the last. In my newly grown-up eyes, I thought I was too old for toys. I gave away my GI Joe collection (200 action figures, 5 vehicles), my Star Wars collection (50 action figures and the Millennium Falcon with a real working elevator!), and whatever Transformers, Masters of the Universe I had in my possession. I gave them all to my little cousin Mikey, a regret I'll have forever. I should have kept them. I thought I was closing the door on my childhood.
A few years later I found myself in Toys 'R Us again. I was a father and even though I would be shopping for my daughter, I always found myself wandering down the aisle where the GI Joe action figures were. I couldn't help myself. It was always wonderful to go to Toys 'R Us and feel like a kid again, even if only for a little while.
With the recent closing and liquidation of the Toys 'R Us franchise, I feel as if I've lost a dear friend. I daydreamed of taking my grandkids there and letting them pick out a toy or two, while I reminisced of days gone by. I'd probably have meandered to the GI Joes, just to see what I might find...
It sucks, because now I can afford that big ass carrier, which could hold four planes, two helicopters, and... yeah. I guess my childhood is finally over.
"I don't wanna grow up, I'm a Toys 'R Us kid. There's a million toys at Toys 'R Us that I can play with.
I don't wanna grow up, I'm a Toys 'R Us kid.
They got the best for so much less, you will really flip your lid!
From bikes to trains to video games, it's the biggest toy store there is.
I don't wanna grow up, cause maybe if I did...
I couldn't be a Toys 'R Us kid.
More games, more toys, oh boy!
I wanna be a Toys 'R Us kid..."
Marlon S. Hayes is a writer, blogger, poet, and author who wishes he still had his toys...
