toys, objects, things, materials, so important in youth, in innocence, in childhood, remembering happy christmases filled with boxes wrapped in gaudy paper, and funny that, happiness, for pieces of plastic, and wondering how my parents knew, how did they figure it out, did we ask, did we know? are these things we also have to know and figure out, deciphering, discovering fads and interests for our children's age groups, generational knowledge gaps, and wondering if we might also provide enough, and wondering, always wondering. i see them, the images, the photos of the toys, the plans of collecting, of putting together, of even playing, of modifying, painting, the battles, the organizations, making wish lists, loving those catalogs, saving them, marking them, hoping for the next birthday or christmas, or pinching pennies, gathering allowances, hoping for the next chance to buy something, some new vehicle, some new toy, some new object ot make me happy. so sad, to look back, to reminisce, to see how unimportant that plastic was.