In around about 1980 or '81
my Dad took my younger brother and a five-or-six-year-old me to our local woolworths. It was spring and neither of our birthdays and Dad said we could pick one toy each, up to a certain value. I was confused by this - money was always tight at home and new toys only came on christmas or birthdays or by saving up the pocket money I got from my grandparents.

"Dad?" I asked "why am I getting a present now, when it's not christmas or my birthday?"
"Well, son" he said "I thought I'd buy you something now while I can, because I've just been made redundant"
"Does that mean I can have this lego?"
"Yes, son. Yes it does". He explained no further than that.

For the next several years, I believed that 'being made redundant' was a random mini-christmas, when you bought your kids toys, and not something to do with joblessness.
I wished my Dad would get made redundant again. I wanted more lego.

I found the news on tv very confusing. You should be happy, Anna Ford. Those people, they are getting lego!
( cs1ca, Wed 18 Jan 2012, 23:00, 3 replies)

I like this

(TheManWithThePlan cussed your mum on, Wed 18 Jan 2012, 23:03, closed)

Love it, the childish bittersweetness.
(tyrellsOwl, Thu 19 Jan 2012, 8:16, closed)

These are supposed to be funny, damnit!
Not adorable and heartbreaking. *sniff*
(universalpsykopath loves what you've done with your hair., Thu 19 Jan 2012, 9:27, closed)

Exactly
that's brought me down to earth with a crash
(fivetide, Thu 19 Jan 2012, 15:41, closed)