Robot money

So it’s Christmas I’ve been freshly adopted or so. My toys had always been reused ones from other kids I grew up with in my foster family or fixed broken toys. I never felt it was a problem but I felt that it meant some things, that you’re supposed to get more money to be more happy or something along those lines.

In my new family I’m getting new toys here and there. It’s Christmas, I’m on the toy floor of a Paris left bank prestigious store and there’s a lot of kids screaming and stuff going on, I’m not used to the city yet. I’m supposed to choose a present and it’s kind of weird to have all that power all of sudden. I don’t even know what to choose. I think at that time I was really into playing marbles so a bag of those would have been great. Everything’s great! I’m in a toy store how awesome is that. Just the trip is satisfying and exciting. And then, on top of a shelve I see him, the red robot:

I guess my face really lit up but to me it wasn’t even going to be possible. Way too expensive. It was out of reach in my life before but now with grandparents enjoying their grandson and new retirement life, it happened.

“would you like to have this one?” I probably just nodded with my eyes open wide.

The thing is a beauty, huge in my small hands:

It transforms into this:

I wasn’t a Transformer fan, to me it was the perfect copy of Robotech’s Valkyrie mechs. I guess I was right:

Of course I broke one of its arms and felt really bad for like a year. Anyway. It was weird because I was happy but it had been a little too easy. Really? I can just get whatever? That seems wrong. And as awesome the toy was, you know how kids are. After a while it was just another toy, a nice trophy. Lego had a bigger replay value and all that made me think hard about what being happy means, early on. What money does or doesn’t. The sweet spot between enjoying life and becoming money’s slave. Really conflictual in our lives but I know exactly what line I want to follow (even though life is fucking plans up). I guess I got a head start on this.