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Thinking Back On GI Joes and a Mound of Dirt
Category: GI Joe Toys ThoughtsWhat drives a person to collect GI Joes?
Well, for me, it is a flashback to being a skinny little boy that was in awe of soldiers and the American fight for freedom. The GI Joes theme song always struck up a little patriotism in me when I was just beginning to understand what patriotism really was.
I can remember being in the backyard waist deep in a hole my brother and I had dug in the yard. We had piled up a huge mound of dirt. The dirt would serve as our battleground for the GI Joes versus Cobra war that we would undertake. My brother would dig tunnels on one side of the hill and I would dig mine on the other.
Our little fortress sure would be elaborate by the end of the play day. I can remember having to be forced by my parents to come back inside, shower and have dinner before hitting the hay on a school night. It was always hard to leave that mound of dirt behind knowing that our dog would rampage it during the night.
In adverse weather when my brother and I were trapped inside, our bed sheets and blankets would make a fine battleground for our GI Joes. Again, he would take one side of the bed or floor and me the other. The battle between our GI Joes and Cobra would wage all day and night if permitted and there was no school the following day. Life was good.
Sometimes I long for those careless days of lying on my belly with my GI Joes arranged in front of me for a little firefight. I guess those times are long gone, but my yearning to buy every one of the GI Joes that I come across still burns. I guess the kid in me will live with me until I’m an old man.
I used to do the same thing. The trouble with my early years is that I had three older sisters that used to rampage my dirt fortresses defenses. Great memories! Keeep up the good work!