Yes, that is my family. I am more nostalgic at Christmas time more than any other time of the year. I'm guessing it's the same for many people (maybe not). Certain songs, smells or images will set off my favorite memories. As an adult I look forward to the Christmas season for some different reasons than when I was a kid, but even then I knew the real meaning of Christmas. Even when I didn't always get what I wanted I never had a bad Christmas because of all the love my family shared for each other.
That being said, I did get some pretty kick butt gifts. Here are a few vivid memories of opening life changing material treasures. Keep in mind I was born in 1980, so this is a time capsule.
Teddy Ruxpin
Mr. Ruxpin was something magical back in those days. He not only spoke, but if you put one of his cassette tapes in his back his lips would move as he told the story and he would blink his eyes. I remember playing non Ruxpin tapes in him, but he just gave be a zombi like dead stare. Unfortunately Mr. Ruxpin had an accident that rendered him some what useless. Sitting on the kitchen floor playing with him I saw a neon green centipede next to me. In terror I smashed the bear's face a top of my deadly attacker. I should mention that I had also received a bunch of neon green glow in the dark bugs for Christmas that year. I must have been so caught up in story time that I didn't have a clear head. Teddy Ruxpin's lower jaw lay there on the floor. Plastic broken and un-fixable. Sure I could still play tapes in him and he would blink at me, but his mouth would never moved again.
G.I. Joe and Transformers were my go to toys and TV shows. I wish to the Dear Lord that I had kept all my figures and toys, but many of them ended up being buried in the back yard or on the roof with a parachute tied to their backs. The following are a few favorites:
Cobra Night Raven was probably my favorite G.I. Joe vehicle with Mad Dog as a close second:
I'm not one who really approves of targeting kids as consumers, but how could I not want this...
One gift I wanted but never got was this ridiculously huge G.I. Joe Aircraft Carrier
I was also a huge Construx fan...
Another favorite Christmas memories from childhood will always be the morning I walked into my living room to find that an Optimus Prime tent had been set up as I slept. Inside was a Gilligan's Island toys set for the bath tub. I often wonder if I am making some of these memories up, but a quick Google search for a Gilligan's Island toys set for the bath tub yields results and Christmas memory validation.
Now for my final and greatest Christmas toy memory. MASK was another cartoon created to sell toys kind of show, and I really loved it. I wanted Rhino, the main vehicle of the show more than anything that year, but was not sure I would get it.
Knowing I may not find it under the tree Christmas morning, I gave my mother a list of other MASK characters and vehicles:
I asked for buzzard:
T-Bob and Hurricane:
Well I got all of those, and I also got Rihno. I literally remember opening it and jumping up and down in crazy joy. My mother joined me. Here excitement for me having some stupid toy will always stick in my head. Not so much as a memory of her giving me anything I wanted, but the joy I saw in her because I was happy.
This will probably be my final post till Christmas day due to tomorrow be a traveling day for me, but I will do a Christmas day post, and just maybe a few post-christmas-posts. Thank you for all the fun this season! It's always awesome to stroll down memory lane this time of year and remember the best times, but my hopes are always for men of good will live in peace again. That stupid political arguments or religious differences don't drive wedges of hate between families and friends. That we let go and forgive the wrongs done to us, and that we see the millions of people all over the world living in utter despair and we make some sort of step to make it better. I celebrate the birth of a Savior, but whatever you celebrate may it be filled with Love, Joy and Peace.
Happy Holidays!!!
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