CHILDISH, JUVENILE, IMMATURE, RETARDED, SILLY, RIDICULOUS, STUPID, DUMB . . . . BY ANY ESTIMATION I RESEMBLE ALL OF THOSE WORDS SO FREQUENTLY DIRECTED AT BLOKES MY AGE WHO CONTINUE COLLECTING THE SAME TOYS WE PLAYED WITH AS KIDS . . . . IT COMES AS NO SURPRISE TO ME THAT WE'RE NOT THE ONES GOING THROUGH A MID-LIFE CRISIS, FREAKING OUT ABOUT TURNING FIFTY AND LOSING CONTROL OF THEIR DULL, MONOTONOUS EXISTENCE.

Like a lot of you my age, I didn't specifically decide one day as a kid, 'hey, I'm never going to grow up and become the thing society wants me to be' but I did inherently 'know' within myself that I'd never stop being moved by the stuff that rocked my world as a kid, the old chestnut about becoming a man and putting away childish things never rang true in my head, and it still doesn't . . . . the only thing that resonates in my heart and soul is to continue happily on following my own path, digging the shit I love and not giving a flying, furry fuck about the expectations of others and I know I ain't the only one. Every single time I run into one of many mates who has spent the majority of his adult life being a something that was expected of him all I see is a bloke getting ever closer to having a meltdown and chucking it all in . . . . never surrender the wanderlust of youth, cling tight to the simple pleasures of childhood and hold fast to the pursuit of your dreams and ideals, live your life, don't live somebody else's, be true to yourself, it mightn't end in riches beyond compare but from what I can ascertain, it beats the fuck outta selling your soul to do the thing you never really wanted to do in the first place, you'll avoid the high blood pressure, the stress, the worry and the rest of the shit that sends so many screaming into their nearest Harley franchise to buy the bike they always wanted but were too afraid to actually get . . . . along with the license to go with it.

By the way, I like Hot Wheels cars, began accumulating them once more back in '92 or thereabouts, the reissue 'Redline' series, the cool contemporary examples, Treasure Hunts, Johnny Lightnings too, Toy Story merch, Lost in Space stuff and much more, just to replace so much of the gear I'd trashed or given away when I thought I'd never really miss them or want them, wrong, wished I'd never done it and regret it all the time . . . . anyhoo, ran into this little collector set at the swap meet last Sunday, it was serendipity, meant to be, it had my name written all over it, took them out of the box to have a proper look, felt like a nine year old all over again, totally bloody brilliant, four of Big Daddy's finest all in one package, stoked . . . . I can put off growing up for at least another week.