I was fortunate to be a kid in the ‘80s.  There was great music, crazy fashion, and the best toys this world had seen.  I was part of the generation that brought you Atari, Transformers, Cabbage Patch Kids, and Rainbow Brite (not to mention the unrelated but equally fabulous Lite Brite).  It was a good time to be a kid.

One toy I’ve never had (and really never wanted) was one of those yelping toy dogs.  You know, the ones that take two steps, make a robotic high-pitched bark, and can be heard no matter where you’re at in the store.  Over time these toys have expanded to pigs, rabbits, ducks, and pretty much any domesticated animal of choice.

But two things have not changed about these toys: 1.) They’re always displayed at the front of the store in some type of fenced in area, and 2.) They are loud and annoying.  I’d really like to find the person that invented this toy, look them in the eye and say, “Really???” Come on, you know you want to do it too.

I don’t know if I’m more annoyed by the high-pitched barking or the fact that this toy has become such an allegory for my life.  As much as I want to, I can’t relate to a Care Bear or She-Ra quite as much as I relate to this irritating little toy.

I walk contently for two steps, complain loudly while at a standstill, and then repeat my actions until I find myself stuck in a corner banging my head against a wall.

It’s frustrating to be in this place; fenced in by the same problems, unanswered questions, and discontentment.  I’d really like to roam free around the mall or just be content in my surroundings.  It would be nice to take a break from the yelping and head banging.  Mostly, it would be nice to stop running into the same walls.

One thing I’ve learned from this irritating piece of plastic and battery is that I can’t rely on my own strength to get me out of my corners.  I might feel like one of those toys that can flip itself when confronted with a wall, but even those toys get stuck every now and again.  I sometimes just don’t have the power (unlike He-Man) to change direction or set myself on a new path.  I need God’s help and sometimes the help of friends and family to get me back on track.

I might never stop my yelping and complaining (I am human, after all), but I can, at the very least, learn to identify when I’m hitting a wall and need a little help turning around.  I can also learn to be brave enough to step in and help turn someone else when their barking is leading them into a corner as well.  Take a penny, leave a penny.

And if none of that works, then I’ll give my Kermit the Frog doll a big squeeze and close my eyes until the scary part’s over.  I just might do that anyway.