FUN IS A TOY

When my oldest child was just a toddler, my dad made a toy box for our family -- a little white chest with a hinged flat lid. He had affixed to the lid a little bronze plaque engraved with the words, "Fun Is a Toy." At that time I still thought that fun and toys were associated with children. No more!

Major amongst our toys are the bicycles. We have had bicycles for years and wouldn't be without them. Mike cycles many miles regularly for exercise. I actually enjoy riding my bike more than Mike knows. I just hate traffic, riding in groups, being taxed on hills. Can't we just go for a ride? No – not in Lewiston where we share the levee bike path with pedestrians. The bike path is the most dangerous place to cycle in this town.

Mike has two motorcycles – his Triumph blah blah blah and the Yamaha dual sport XT whatever. That is, he has two if you don't count the one that hasn't sold yet. Mike does not consider them toys, strictly speaking. He recounts how he rides them to work and for getting around in general, thereby saving gas. That means not just saving money but also conserving gasoline. It's true that some folks argue for that. But the gleam in his eye when he announces that he's going for a ride -- and also the encumbrances he puts up with -- indicate he's having fun here.

As we know, toys can be accessorized and that's fun, too. In the case of motorcycles, it's chaps and helmets and gloves and leather jackets, etc. The postman or the UPS driver comes to our house regularly with stuff we've ordered.

I also have toys. Here's my organ, the Technics SX-EA5. Just months after I bought it, the Music City rep who was teaching me about the organ was transferred and not replaced. Then Music City closed their store here. Then Mike and I were generally distracted and busy as we remodeled the farmhouse and moved and all sorts of other family things happened. Next the manufacturer went out of business, and somehow I became really discouraged over the organ and didn't play it. But Easter Sunday I felt compelled to play "Easter Parade" and "Peter Cottontail." And I spent two hours playing and playing and playing. And it occurred to me then that maybe I could add some incentives by ordering new music. Mike accessorizes – why not me? I made an online search and sure enough! Amazon has all the music books I could ever want – some of them used and super-cheap. That's okay with me. The books I ordered last week have been coming this week. More fun!

Then there are toys that are outright toys no matter what they tell you. For instance, this "Tiny Betsy McCall" comes in a box that says, "Collector Doll – This is not a toy, it is a collectible item." It's so true that she's delicate and shouldn't be handled by little ones, but she's still a toy. I've had my eye on her for many months and finally decided the time had come to order her. She's a basic doll. I have no interest in their expensive collector clothes. If she has a wardrobe, I will create it.

And here's another toy -- my Bernina Aurora 430 with embroidery module. My mother's sewing machine was not a toy, and she did not think of it as such. But I call mine a toy because it's so much more than a basic sewing machine. It affords opportunities for creativity that were just unthinkable to bygone generations. The opportunities for accessorizing and upgrading are practically limitless and not only fun but challenging.

I could mention more toys – guns, dolls, 4-wheelers, but you get the picture. Over the years, life has just changed that much. Adults can play, too -- and we should. It keeps us young. KW