I think today represents the official kickoff of the Christmas shopping season. The ads for toys and stuff to buy are all over the TV. Last year, my young granddaughter would see an ad for a toy and say “I want that!” — then something else would come on, and she’d want that, too.

    It reminded me of Congress, only those guys aren’t 4, and never grew out of spending other people’s money.

    Christmas shopping has become quite an event for some. Fighting large crowds is just something I don’t like to do. But I have developed a system for Christmas shopping which isn’t perfect, but usually works. I wait until Christmas Eve to get started — this really cuts down on the choices I have to make, but only works if you like the pressure. Usually I don’t know what I’m looking for anyway, but with only off sizes left, and bare shelves, it really cuts the shopping time down.

    I recently watched a story on the news about toy safety, provided by an advocacy group demonstrating unsafe or noisy toys. Turns out there are several groups and public agencies who play with toys on our behalf, making sure they are safe. I guess I used to think parents could do that, but apparently not so much these days. Now we need public agencies for this.

    A watchdog group even offers cell phone alerts to your phone on toy safety.

    Made me wonder how we managed to grow up without all the public nanny agencies we have today? As the song says; “we were born to mothers who smoked and drank, our cribs were covered in lead-based paint, no child-proof lids, no seat belts in cars … yet here we are …”

    Or something like that.

    Now before someone gets all upset, I’m not suggesting some common sense safety changes weren’t needed or haven’t occurred. They have.

    All my kids and grandkids are always strapped in their seat whenever they are in the car. It’s common sense and the law. And as far as I know, my mom didn’t smoke or drink — but I’m sure she put me in a crib painted with lead-based paint. I’m certain that explains my mediocre grades in high school. Knew it wasn’t my fault.

    But some regulation in the name of safety is just nonsense. like the federal law that banned selling small motorcycles to kids because they contain lead, like they planned to eat the motorcycle. Kids eating motorcycles is a big problem, I suppose.

    Good thing they weren’t around when I was growing up.

    We couldn’t afford many new store-bought toys, so when we played Cowboys and Indians, we used a long stick for both the rifle and the spear, and a short one as a knife. Worked great, but I did get slivers occasionally. And no public agency warned us. We learned the old-fashioned way. I relied on my mom and dad, who said things like, “Don’t run with that” or “Be careful,” or my personal favorite, “You’re going to put your eye out with that.”

    Big wooden blocks with painted letters, Tinkertoys, Lincoln Logs and I’m sure other wooden toys were all part of my early childhood memories and I’m pretty sure I chewed on them. I know my kids chewed on them too. Despite that, still here we are.

    But before shopping this Christmas season, I am signing up for cell phone toy safety alerts … because I just don’t think I can pick a gift without help from a total stranger.

    John McCroskey was Lewis County sheriff from 1995 to 2005. He lives outside Chehalis, and can be contacted at musingsonthemiddlefork@yahoo.com.