When Marshall was a little guy, his dad and I owned a variety store in our small town. You may recall those tiny flocked teddy bear lapel pins that were popular back in the 1970’s. We sold those little pins (displayed in a small plastic container at the check-out). Thinking back, I don’t recall ever seeing anyone actually wearing one, but we sold plenty of them.
This past weekend, I was in an antique/thrift shop and spotted one of those little pins. And the memory it brought to mind will probably make you chuckle.
By the time Marshall was two, he was very much into trucks, farm implements and road equipment toys. This picture shows him at our kitchen table with some of his Matchbox type toys.
But he also had some larger pieces of equipment, which “required” a driver. And one of those little flocked teddy bears was called into service as the heavy equipment driver. (We removed the pin from the back, of course.)
Our living room sofa had three seat cushions. One of Marshall’s favorite pastimes was to push each of the cushions up against the back of the sofa, and, while crawling along on his knees, “drive” his toys along the bottom part of the sofa. No, I don’t have a picture of that (other than the one in my mind), but I sure wish I did.
And, as tiny as those little teddy bears were, I managed to keep up with the most used one.
He’s a little worse for wear, most of his flock having been worn off, but he has a place of honor on the printer’s tray in our living room.
Oh, the miles that little guy drove.
~These Days Of Mine~
these days of mine 