Toys R Us and a time lost forever

There are a few sounds from my youth that still bring joy to my heart. Tops of the list is the Ice Cream Truck song, which just activates happiness in my brain (more in this below*). Slightly behind that sound, is the Toys R Us jingle. There is just something so pure about the idea of not growing up, so that you could play with toys forever, that resonates perfectly both in my childhood and as an adult.

All over the country, Toys R Us stores are scheduled to close down forever. The one closest to me, just shut its doors for the last time. Although I'm not very emotional, I felt a genuine sadness when I realized it was the end. Toys R Us might have been the single locations that brought me the most joy, without ever causing sadness. The expression on my face of picking out GI Joe's when I was little, is the exact same when I took Destiny there just a few weeks ago. It is a childhood Mecca and now it will be replaced by Amazon, Walmart, and boutique toy stores. Toys R Us was more than just a store, it was a state of mind...from bikes to trains to video games...well, you know the rest.


*Last weekend, I was in the city with my 18 year old nephew and passed an ice cream truck. I asked if we wanted any and he was disgusted, "there is a real ice cream shop a block away", he said before recommending gelato. According to him, the stuff from the ice cream truck was just processed sugar and gross. I felt sad for him because he didn't know that this ice cream wasn't about your taste buds, but transporting you to a special place of peace and sublime happiness. The ice cream truck, with that melodious bell, in forever embedded in the pleasure center of my psyche. As a child this was bliss; as an adult it is equally bliss. In the thousands of years of human civilization, there will be just a few generations that were part of the Ice Cream Truck Era, and I feel lucky to be part of that.  But, like Toys R Us, this era is also coming to an end. Perhaps gelato is better tasting, and Amazon offers a larger selection, but back in my day...

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