The first dose of George Michael came in Wham! This music is now what I like to call "mall" music. It gives you a little spring in your step while you're shopping. When I was little, we went to the mall. KayBee Toys was the LAST place we would go before we left for home. I remember walking past it umpteen times while my mom and sister go to all these clothing stores. It wasn't until years later when I discovered HotRocks... the rock t-shirt store in the center isle of the mall.
Toys R Us had not yet made it to Appleton, it was in Green Bay at the time. The drive was probably a 30 minutes north. This was around a decade before the "441 bypass" was put in, that basically cut the bottom way around the outside of Appleton. We had to drive to Little Chute and take N to 41 North to get up to Green Bay. I thought that Green Bay was like heaven. It had a) the Green Bay Packers, and b) Toys R' Us!
In my 20's, I figured out that my Mom had the perfect scam. Step one: take my sister and I to Toys R Us. My cousin Ben and I are only about three months apart in age. At Toys R Us, my Mom would say "do you think Ben would like THIS for Christmas?" and of course if I liked it I would say "yes." So we put it in the cart thinking that's what we were getting my cousin for Christmas. We got him a ton of stuff for some reason... and I would forget all about this. Christmas day comes later in the year and I am opening up the EXACT same things. Santa brought them for me!
The Toy's R Us theme song was addictive. "I don't want to grow up, I'm a Toys R Us kid..." even adults sang that song. We tend to make fun of titles and slogans. Our family ended up calling the store Toys are NOT Us. But it didn't stop there... we renamed the grocery store Pick 'N Save "booger bank," KMart "KFart," ShopKO "snotKO," and Burger King "booger fling." It's likely I'm forgetting a long list of other examples. This was way before people started calling Taco Bell alternative nicknames! This behavior was not considered naughty, my parents got a big kick out of it. Perhaps these were just early displays of creativity. Thank God these flashes of fun were not squandered by strict child rules & "proper" manners.
By the time Toys R Us came to Appleton in the late 80's early 90's, there was no more Wham!, there was only George Michael. I'll talk about those albums later on. Can anyone even name the other guy in Wham! without Googling it??? I would only get to enjoy the benefits of a local Toys R Us for about 5 or so years. After that, CD stores and guitar shops became more interesting than a toy store. That's what happens when you grow up.... even if "you don't want to grow up."
I can relate to alot of that. My husband has an early memory as a toddler of boldy proclaiming that he was never gonna grow up. He reminds me often he is a Toys R us Kid. and also when i was very young I remember going to Toys R us and telling my Mom to tell Santa I wanted this huge stuffed Cookie Monster doll. I was overjoyed when he brought it. I literally could not believe he knew. Years later my older brothers tormented me with him and broke his eye balls. I just found those things. I have no idea why i saved them. I remember attempting to super glue them back together properly, being unsuccesful and subsequently depressed about that many times.
ReplyDeleteshould I go on? i won't but i do relate to that alot. thanks Nico
careless whispers
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