Where would you go on a shopping spree?
As a kid in the early 90s, Nickelodeon would air the Toys R Us Sweepstakes, which let one lucky kid grab as many toys as possible within a time limit. There was no greater prize in all the world than the chance to get my greedy hands on unlimited toys. I coveted this golden grail. My strategy was simple: I would dash to the NES aisle and grab as many games as humanly possible. I wouldn’t waste a second in the bike aisle, action figures, or board games. My plan to be the happiest Nintendo kid in the world would be complete.
Today, I am an adult with a steady job, and there is not much I can’t purchase. The NES was sold long ago, and those games are now outdated. I tried almost every PS2, Dreamcast, Xbox, 360, PS3, and Steam I have ever desired, and if the mood strikes me I can go to eBay and find more. I spent my life trying to live in the Toys R Us Sweepstakes, and as someone who loves new “toys,” I learned one thing. Yesterday’s fortune loses its luster, and tomorrow’s desires aren’t happy with Yesterday’s fortune. Now, I wish Toys R Us had a contentment aisle that could satisfy.