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UR FIFTY-FIVE PLUS 55 0U Young Jest a Moment: Memories of Christmas toys past By Nick Thomas - OPINION Favourite toys probably top the list of fond childhood Christmas memories for many adults. What were yours? Some of my favorites are listed below: Bubble Solution: | blew my first bubbles one joyous Christmas around the age 7. You've got to applaud the guy who came up with this idea. “Hey, | know,’ he said to himself one day. “I'll put soapy water in a bottle and sell it to kids” Genius. Hula Hoop: My favourite trick was flick- ing the hoop along the ground with a backspin causing it to roll back towards me. But | never developed any interest in its traditional use. Watching friends franti- cally wrenching their necks and backs to twirl the hoop around their spines merely convinced me these colorful rings of plastic were invented by a chiropractor. Pogo Stick: While kids today must dress like gladiators in protective gear before engaging in physical activi- ties with some outdoor toys, we bounded unprotected over rock-hard concrete for hours on these spring-loaded metal sticks, blissfully unaware we were potentially just one bounce away from a trip to the ER. Chemistry Set: Got mine at the age of 10 and it inspired me to get a Ph.D. in chemistry some two decades later. Sure, | performed some incredibly dangerous experiments, once ending up in hospital as a teenager, but burning a hole in your shoe (and, subsequently, foot) with molten zinc, built character. Gumby: While | generally took care of my toys, only one bendable green Gumby figure made it to adulthood (mine and his), the others falling victim to fiendish experi- mentation from a curious kid armed with a Treasures from Christmas past chemistry set. In one ill-conceived experi- ment, | attempted to create a’silver’ Gumby by dipping in the aforementioned molten metal, only to discover that rubber toys (and shoes) did not survive at 787 degrees Fahrenheit. Mouse Trap: This board game involved assembling some two dozen mostly plas- tic pieces which, when perfectly aligned, would set in motion a chain-reaction to trap an opponent's game piece. Delightful when it worked but infuriating when the mechanism malfunctioned. | still have mine from the ‘60s with all pieces intact - rather amazing considering threats of adjusting the unreliable mechanism with a hammer were not uncommon amongst frustrated young players. Tin toys: First made in the mid-1800s, these colorfully painted metal figures and vehicles fell out of favor after the emer- gence of cheap plastic toys. My favorite, a Northwest Airlines DC-7C from the ‘60s, still works and always delighted my mother, too, who had been an air hostess on similar prop aircraft a decade earlier. It's no surprise, therefore, that favourite old toys can evoke distant but fond memo- ties of family Christmases past. Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery in Alabama, and writes for many newspapers and magazines. AUDIOMETRIC CENTRE HEARING AIDS & AUDIOMETRY Georgetown’s trusted choice for hearing care 905.877.8828 ‘Anmstrong Ave 360 Guelph St., Unit 44 THE EDENT —_— Georgetown READERS’ + Delrex Blvd {In the Knolcrest Centre) |= i icca DIAMOND WINNER: 2020733 Ontario Ltd. Operating As Aiiortable Buriat &€ remation 4 Licensed by Bereavement Authority of Ontario Class 1 Transfer Service Funeral Directors Available 24 Hours a Day Pre-Arrangements and Time of Death ‘Arrangements Available, 3 ‘Free Quote. No Upselling. No Cancellation Fee For Supplies & Services Beres Natalie Licensed Pre Planner FP 4746812 Woz ‘Z sequieeg ‘Aepsunyy | SiH UOHEH - dal UL | €Z