Did you have one of these as a kid?

For the longest time I've had this recurring flash-back to a toy from my childhood. Sometimes certain colors would trigger it. Or a shape that I saw would bring it back to memory. But I could only remember that there was some thing from my childhood that these images were reminding me of. But I could never be sure exactly what it was.

It was like a vivid dream that you try to remember the next morning and you just can't. You know the feel of the dream, but you just can't remember what exactly happened in it.

I felt like it had to be a toy of some sort. Because for some reason, any time I had this flash-back, it would feel like Christmas. So I can remember that this mystery toy was a Christmas gift, but I can't remember what the thing itself is.

It was maddening. Like a thought that pops into your head. A good thought. And then not a second later, you've forgotten it.

Well, I finally figured it out. After probably 4 or so years of these flash-backs, I've remembered what it was that I was trying to remember: A Rubik's Magic Rings toy.

After getting into this Rubik's cube phase a few months ago, I stumbled onto a website that sold various and sundry products of the Rubik's brand. And lo-and-behold. As soon as I saw it, I knew that's what I had been trying to recall. But I had to be certain. So I ordered one.


Sure enough, it's the one. It twists and folds into all sorts of shapes. It's kind of like a plastic brochure or map. You're supposed to mess up the ring formation and then try to solve it as if it were a puzzle, but I just like to move it around into different shapes. It's what I did as a kid and there's something nostalgic about those shapes I would make.

This particular part of the rings is what I remembered most - the red part.


Nostalgia is a powerful thing. I paid about $20 to ship this thing over here from China because it was nowhere to be found State-side. $20 bucks! For shipping! That's ridiculous. But it was lure of nostalgia that got me. (And that nagging flash-back thing.)

Wow. That was a pointless post.