Don’t get me wrong. I loved the candy store as well, but I guess sweets weren’t much of a problem as my Mom was a very good cook. Toys, on the other hand...
When @ericvancewalton asked “What store did you love to go to as a child?” the image of the small bookstore in my childhood neighborhood instantly came to mind. I remember exactly where it stood and, as far as I know, those buildings still exist.
Mostly I remember the store window where we’d stop when my mother took me on some errand. Keep in mind that was communist Romania so they didn’t change the window often, nor did they have much to offer. But I was like 6 years old and had no understanding of politics and I definitely had no idea what sort of toys the kids in the West had. What mattered to me were the dolls and the fairy-tale books.
I got them similar dresses, because, you know, communism... and don't ask why the black one is half white... the paint was peeling off, OK?
These three little dolls were recently unearthed, maybe at my mother’s place, and they spent the whole winter on one of the balconies. Waiting for this moment, I guess. As far as I remember I had four of them. The other one had ice-blonde, almost white hair and may have been the prettiest. The surviving three might have something to do with her disappearance. The thrill of going to the bookstore was in discovering what I could expect for the next birthday or Christmas. It wasn't like we bought something every time, Money was tight during that time, yet I don’t think the child I was knew that. That’s my adult knowledge of the situation.
I did have enough toys, some of them quite fancy. My inner child insists I mention the construction set, similar to modern Lego, which must have come from some western country. The good thing about communism was that the offer was limited and toys were accessible. We all had the same toys more or less and no little girl dreamed of the latest Barbie.
One of my pet peeves these days is young journalists deploring life under the communists, not in terms of freedoms we didn’t have, but focusing on the material part, like the shabby toys of previous generations. I think even in the western world there were plenty of kids dreaming of a bicycle their parents couldn’t afford, just like mine couldn’t.
The little girl eyeing the dolls in the store window certainly took her revenge decades later. As a mother I was obsessed with buying toys for my children, even if that meant borrowing money or selling jewelry. Looking back I think my kids have that inner child to thank for that. I think it was her doing most of the shopping.
Then there were the books and, no, they were not full of communist propaganda. Real indoctrination was done in school, much as it is done today… Sadly, I didn’t grow up with Winnie the Pooh, as my daughter did, that is something I regret. But, we still had classics, and I was very proud of my collection.
None of those books survived so I found this photo online. (Another pet peeve - stupid nostalgia for the “good old days”. The book in the picture is on sale for $50, when you can find a new unabridged edition for a fraction of that in any bookstore.)
"The Hobbit" was one of my favorite books, especially the part where dwarfs start banging on Bilbo’s door and he gets increasingly irritated. I read "The Lord of the Rings" as an adult, but "The Hobbit", never. Didn’t even see the movie, because I grew up with a different Bilbo.
Another favorite in this collection was a Russian book. I don’t know if there was any mention of the party. To a kid, it was just a book about the everyday life of a little boy.
Speaking of toys, I don’t think any of us grew up with such wonderful things.
The photo was taken at the Toy Museum in Basel last month. According to the audio-guide, the kids who had such marvelous toys in the 19th century were rarely allowed to play with them as they were too expensive…
Thank you, @ericvancewalton for the opportunity to take this trip down memory lane. If there’s any meaning to my story I’d say it’s that kids don’t need much to be happy… at least, not by way of toys or fancy clothes. On the other hand, there’s no such thing as having too many toys 🙂
Thanks for reading!
This was so interesting to read! Growing up during the Cold War (1970's) on the other side of the iron curtain was similar in some ways. I can remember having to recite, "The Pledge of Allegiance" every morning in class and a lot of the post-WW2 propaganda was still alive and well from the 1950's. We also said prayers in school, something that would be illegal now. I often wondered what childhood was like in the Communist countries.
Toys were widely available (Legos were my favorite) in America but money was usually so tight that most of those were just a dream for us. For the most part it was my bike, a small Lego set, Matchbox/Hotwheels cars, and a few small Star Wars action figures. I wasn't a huge reader until young adulthood. I read through my parents encyclopedia set and my neighbor, Mrs. Werkhaven, would tell me stories about her global travels and let me page through her National Geographic magazines. I got a lot of culture from her.
Thanks for sharing this. I really enjoyed it!
That would be a huge difference between here and there, the secrets and the silence.
Why do I have the feeling that these in the US people are more mindful of what they say in public? Elections aside, I believe people may be reluctant to say what they really think about the whole trans issue, critical race theory, and so on.
This is very much true these days. Many are afraid to speak their minds here. I don’t think it was as much this way back in the 70’s and 80’s. We should be very afraid when people don't feel free to speak their minds, it's a sign that something is broken.
Lady Rebecca in comic mode! Very entertaining.
Thank you! I even took the time to cover the poor dolls. I couldn't post a picture of them totally naked.
What a wonderful read @ladyrebecca! I'm very impressed that you still have three dolls left.
I actually forgot about the candy store when I wrote of my favourite store, as I love candy, especially lollipops and those candy canes. And Toffee Apples at fairs and bazaars.
It's interesting how we accept things as normal when growing up, you with communism, and me with apartheid. We did not know any better, and thought this was how life was!
I always wanted a doll house, but that was for the wealthy. What a beautiful doll house that is in the museum, and such detail!