Cleaning up grandpa and grandma Kiyohara’s house of 100 years, I discovered our uncle had kept the Radio Flyer Red Wagon that dates back at least 60 years. All of the cousins played with The Red Wagon, imagining dashing adventures and daring acts of courage, and our now 88 year old uncle clearly could not stand the thought of just tossing it in the trash.
Rusted and worn, The Red Wagon continues to serve, now helping to haul yard waste, trash and “stuff” around the backyard. Every time I use it, I think of that old photo with me riding in The Red Wagon with the goofiest happy smile ever.
I do hope that one of the cousins’ kids will adopt The Red Wagon and play with it until it inevitably reaches the end of its product cycle and falls apart completely.
I am going to miss The Red Wagon when the time comes to leave LA and return home.
It’s not the things, it’s the memories.
JUST SAY MAHALO® 