Insights from a 6yr old: Youth is Wasted on the Young
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While putting Anthony down to bed last night, he claimed (incorrectly) that he wasn't tired, and so going to bed would be “boring”. We'd been in a large five-story toy store recently, so I suggested that he pass the time by imagining that he lived in the toy store...

Me: What would you play with?
Anthony:      Everything!
Me: Well, you've got to start somewhere.
Anthony:I wish I could really live there.
Me: Well, you can, when you get older. You can buy a toy store and live there.
Anthony:Really?
Me: Sure, you just have to save a lot of money to do it. By the time you get old enough, you'll be able to do that.
Anthony:(thinking....)
But then I wouldn't be a kid anymore!

It took me a moment to realize what his complaint was. He was worried that by the time he was old enough to actually be able to make his dream of living in a toy store come true, he would be too old to enjoy it.

Wise beyond his years.

I explained that it's possible to keep a kid's spirit alive in your heart as you grow into an adult. He liked that idea.


All 10 comments so far, oldest first...

Witness ‘Wee Willy Wanka’! There are kids and there are KIDS!

🙂

I’m a 60 year old KID!

Don

— comment by Don Ricklin on May 28th, 2009 at 11:54pm JST (15 years, 6 months ago) comment permalink

Maybe he’ll take after his dad and live in a camera shop.

— comment by Sean on May 28th, 2009 at 11:58pm JST (15 years, 6 months ago) comment permalink

Kids are often like that… My 6 year old daughter has her moments like that one. We lost our second child at birth last year and she helped a lot. Congrats to Antony 🙂

— comment by Ollivier Robert on May 29th, 2009 at 3:08am JST (15 years, 6 months ago) comment permalink

Wow, Jeff; quite precious! Thanks for sharing such a cute story.

— comment by Anonymous on May 29th, 2009 at 3:26am JST (15 years, 6 months ago) comment permalink

Just one question, Jeffrey… when you go to a camera store, isn’t that your toy store today? 😉

— comment by Alexander Kunz on May 29th, 2009 at 5:08am JST (15 years, 6 months ago) comment permalink

What a sweet story … just read it aloud Ayla, who was too busy exploring the gate area at the airport to bother listening closely… 🙂

— comment by Eric Scouten on May 29th, 2009 at 5:52am JST (15 years, 6 months ago) comment permalink

Have to ask. You say that you have been in five-story toy store, does it happen to be in Kyoto? We are currently in Kyoto and my wife wanted to visit some huge toy store and we missed that in Tokyo.

It is in Kyoto, but it’s not a general toy store for kids… it’s more for adults (gaming, trains sets, complex models, etc.). I only knew about it because it used to be the electronics store where I bought my camera stuff, but they recently converted to a gaming store and the Bic Camera at Kyoto Station was out of Wii Games, so I stopped by. Anyway, the store is on Teramachi, south of Shijo. Another place for toys (expensive European ones) is BørneLund in the basement of the BAL building on Kawaramachi, between Shijo and Sanjo. (Photos on that page have map links). Then there’s Bic Camera at Kyoto Station, a Toys R Us in Shiga, and department stores (such as the 5th floor, I think, of Takashimaya at Shijo/Kawaramachi.) —Jeffrey

— comment by Teemu on May 29th, 2009 at 8:13am JST (15 years, 6 months ago) comment permalink

I’m sad there aren’t any photos today, but I think that’s an awesome conversation. Thanks for sharing it with us!

— comment by Eric Mesa on May 29th, 2009 at 9:36pm JST (15 years, 6 months ago) comment permalink

Thanks for address. Have to see if we have time and stop by there tomorrow (our last full day in Japan). We visited the 5th floor of Takashimaya. My wife went little cray for “Hello Kittyy” -products and so we had tro visit there…

— comment by Teemu on May 29th, 2009 at 10:51pm JST (15 years, 6 months ago) comment permalink

Wow, if I had a dollar for every time I have waged the “I’m not tired/Going to bed is boring” battle(BTW, its a small comfort to know other kids try the exact same lines), while not being able to live there, I could at least afford a daytrip to my favorite Big Boy toy store….Best Buy!!!

— comment by Ray on May 30th, 2009 at 10:55pm JST (15 years, 5 months ago) comment permalink
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