Boys with Toys

I don't remember who said it, but someone, somewhere has said something to the effect that the only thing that changes with boys as they age is the expense and the potential danger of their toys. And so the little boy who played with Tonka trucks graduates to a Chevy Silverado or a Toyota Tundra; the kid who loved Hot Wheels moves first to a Honda Civic and then, if he's really lucky, to a Porsche -- and not just an old Volvo station wagon to cart the kids back and forth to school and soccer games.

Still, some growing boys keep the spirit of toys going as they age in other ways. With their actual gas power, nitro RC cars are the more realistic version of toy radio controlled vehicles. I've been seeing more and more of them lately and I sure wouldn't trust an actual child with one of those. They can be a little bit frightening in a funny way that reminds me a little bit of that old show, "Battlebots" where the robots used to fight, but then I suppose that being a little bit scary is part of the fun.

Of course, that's not the only little boys game that got turned into something mostly for adult boys. Isn't the paintball phenomenon really just a grown up, and more painful, version of kids going out with cheap plastic weaponry to play "guns" or "war" or "cops and robbers" or whatever it is they called it in your neighborhood?

Still, though some guys can't get enough of inflicting pain on each other with balls of paint or playing with Nitro RC cars, there's nothing sweeter than seeing a dad and his little boy or girl shopping for actual kiddie toys. You can see the dads are often enjoying playing with the Matchbox cars, toy "Star Wars" light sabers, and what not more than the kids.