🕵🏼♂️ Going Full Detective for Something that Doesn't Even Matter
Something gave me flashbacks of an ancient childhood memory. It was fuzzy, so I put all of my energy towards getting the whole story...
I always wanna be doing. It’s what led me to starting this newsletter. It’s also what led me down a deep rabbit hole, involving distant memories of a Toy Store in Lake Arrowhead, California.
What I did:
I became a detective trying to uncover every detail of a distant childhood mystery.
How I did it:
I dug through old photos, researched extensively, and did some outreach that led me to my big discovery.
Why I did it:
I learned a ton about myself and my past, and I got the satisfaction of solving a good mystery.
That Looks So Familiar!
While sorting my family’s archive of photos (more on this in a future issue), I came across a photo that shined new light on a distant childhood memory. For years, I remembered playing with a construction-themed toy somewhere. The toy involved these red and blue balls that trucks and conveyer belts moved around. This memory would randomly come up in dreams or pop into my head from time to time. I’d always ask my mom about it, but she had no idea what I was talking about. For years I was tormented by the fragments of this memory, and I really wanted to find out what this toy was, and where I had played with it.
You may be wondering why I care so much. To most people, the explicit details of a childhood memory aren’t that important, but I’m the kind of person who really puts an emphasis on preserving history, no matter how mundane or insignificant that history may seem. Things like “what Disneyland ride was there before Space Mountain?” or “what year was the Forum Tower added to Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas?” was of utmost importance to me as a kid (and as an adult 😅). I was determined to find out the exact toy store and the exact toy I had played with all those years ago.
The photo that jiggled my memory was of a touristy shopping center in Lake Arrowhead, California. I instantly connected this photo to the fragments and flashbacks in a way I can’t really explain. I didn’t remember or recall anything new, but I knew that this building was related to my memory. Our brains are weird like that.
Now that I knew the potential place, I began searching for all the current and past toy stores that had operated in that mall. I stumbled across Mr. G for Toys, an older-looking toy store - the kind you see in a Christmas Movie, or like the one Nathan visited in Nathan for You. I suspected this could’ve been the store so I stalked their online presence to try and find a picture of the interior from the early 2000s. Nothing.
I then saw they had an Instagram, so I shot them a friendly DM and email explaining what I was doing. I bet they had never received an email like this before!
To my surprise, the owner Sandra answered within just a few hours!
HOLY CRAP. Yes! That’s the one! Rokenbok! As I Googled more and more pictures of this toy, it all came back to me: my mesmerized 6-year-old self staring at the red and blue balls swirling down the different conveyer belts and slides, and then picking them up with a toy truck or crane and watching it all happen again.
I subsequently spent an hour learning all about Rokenbok. I read about every toy they ever created and watched videos of their store demo cases. I think I even found the store demo I actually played with:
When I’m rich and famous, I hope to have one of these in my living room. Ok… Maybe not, but it was super satisfying to finally crack this case!
But Like… Why?
I couldn’t explain to my family why this discovery was a big deal. To them it was an “oh ya that’s cool - let me get back to what I’m doing”. But to me, this discovery meant so much more. It filled in some gaps in my memory and helped me learn more about myself. I know, that’s a bold claim, but hear me out:
Why did I remember THIS toy so much? I didn’t even ever own it! I had just played with it in a toy store for a few minutes. I’m sure I had done the same with dozens of other toys that I have no recollection nor care to remember.
It took some thinking, but I actually have an answer:
What do city/train dioramas, the architecture of a web app, this Las Vegas map, Roller Coaster Tycoon 3, and this Rokenbok toy all have in common?
They are all things I have a strong interest in and they are all “systems”. In model trains and Las Vegas, casinos and trains come and go. In Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 and web apps, park guests and HTTP requests bounce around from ride to ride, and microservice to microservice. Things are designed. Things move. Things change. I think the demo of this Rokenbok toy was the first time my six-year-old self realized my genuine passion for “systems”.
Personality Trait: System-lover
I have always loved observing, creating, and interacting with “systems”. From searching for Christmas Lights with moving elements to building and documenting the creation of a city in Minecraft, a passion for “systems” has been consistent in all stages of my life.
Do you share this trait?
Who knew I could learn so much about myself and get some genuine enjoyment out of going full-on detective over such small details?
Follow the story of another TV Show ❌
Discover more about your story ✅
While the rest of the world was watching Netflix and consuming content, I was emailing a toy store in Lake Arrowhead and revisiting an old memory. The feeling of accomplishment from my detective work was much more than I would’ve gotten from scrolling Instagram for an extra few hours.
💪 A Challenge for You
Do you have a distant childhood memory where the details are fuzzy? If not, look at some old photos until something stands out as “Oh ya I sorta remember that!”.
Got a distant memory now? Good! Find out every single detail you can about that memory. Things that you don’t remember now, but can find out again.
Some good questions to get you started:
Where EXACTLY were you? (you should be able to find it on Google Street View)
What is the significance of this place to you?
Does that place look the same today? What has changed?
Who was there with you?
Can you reach out to them for any details you may have forgotten?
Do they remember it the same way?
Why do you remember this?
What were you doing that was so memorable?
What does this memory uncover about you as a person?
When you are done, do something with the results! Post what you found to Twitter, share them with a family member or friend, comment on this post, or write it all down and put it on your fridge!
Well done, Sherlock! You are officially a memory detective. 🕵🏼♂️
You made it to the end! I’m going to say some things. If any of them excite you, you are probably a doer! Ok, here it goes:
Side projects
Hobbies and passions
Random adventures
Learning more about the things you care about (like in this article!)
Productivity and motivation
You hate wasting your limited free time
If you want to be motivated to do more, consider subscribing!
I look forward to more of your stories. Enjoy the ride, Matthew!