Mar. 24

Windup toys

I love windup toys. Who the heck doesn’t? They are whimsical, tiny little items designed for no other purpose but to amuse.

That is, for about 30 seconds at a time.

Unlike many novelties, they seem to be repeatable amusements though, and that sets them apart. However, today I clear my space of all windup toys.

The mouse is my favourite, and I had to consider long and hard whether or not I wanted to get rid of him. I’ve had him since 1982 when someone gave him to me in the green room just before my Junior Recital. I can’t remember for sure who it was who brought it, but it was either Carol, my girlfriend at the time, or Bindy, the wife of my horn teacher. Honestly, it sounds like Bindy, who was quite whimsical herself, and cared for the music students, whether they studied with her or not. She is still one of my favourite people.

When wound up, it would gradually crouch, then BOOM…it would do a back flip! Not what anyone expected to see the first time they encountered it! It was a hilarious distraction from the tension of performing. Sadly, it’s been decades since it still worked. And yet I’ve carried it with me all this time.

The teeth are also from around that same time, and I’m pretty sure those were from Carol. Once upon a time they chattered as they hopped around. Today, they do nothing, the spring having lost its, well, “spring”.

The other 2 toys are just bugs that do what bugs do. Amusing, but not on the level of the first 2. Although they work, I have no attachment to them, nor memories of who gave them to me.

Gradually, my bookshelves are looking less cluttered. Removing these items don’t necessarily make it easier to organize anything, but they do make my space look neater, so when I do get fully organized, I’ll have a neat and organized space. And if it’s neat, I’m more likely to keep it organized.