Stay True to Your Vision, Pretty Much
My son Gus is in 6th grade here in Cardiff, CA. Part of his curriculum this year includes launching a new product, specifically a toy. This is so awesome and I’m not sure why I never got a chance to be educated this way. His class discussed ideas and strategies that would help these young entrepreneurs put their products on the shelves of Targets and Walmarts everywhere, hypothetically. As a dad and fan of finding new ideas to take to market I was totally stoked to get involved. I often like to help a little too much and my wife would describe my involvement in the kids’ school projects as more of a “Dad Takeover”. Nonetheless what could be better than coming up with a new idea and then planning the whole process from the inception to the launch? And of course we are working as a team so Gus is involved every step of the way, kind of.
I find the ideas that come from a child’s mind to be so fresh and uncomplicated. You take an 11yr old and you get what 11yrs has seen over the course of their short time on Earth. Their ideas are generally straightforward. “It would be a soldier that untwists at the waist and has all of his/hers gear specific to that branch of service inside, in a rucksack.” I mean that is cool. That is essential, stripped down cool- M-16, grenades, possibly a Claymore Mine, Colt 45 side arm, Kevlar gear…and so on. Where things fall apart in my mind is when you ad an adult into the mix. At 53 and having served in the military as well as the purchaser of a lot of kids’ toys, I love the idea but then the logic begins to take hold and I start to dissect the little plastic "serviceperson". First off- can someone choke on the pieces? What color should the skin be and what gender? Is the plastic going to be chemical free? Do we make it in the US or do we try to save money and manufacture overseas? Is China good or bad right now? Philippines? What trademark infringements lay ahead if we copy the uniforms or guns and is using good renderings of firearms OK? Will we be sued over some misuse of our soldier in some way or will this lead to more violence? So much to consider.
At this point I have almost scratched the entire military idea and I am starting to think of less offensive, possibly less dangerous ideas for a budding toy tycoon to get involved with. Maybe a rubber ball- pink and blue, non-toxic, made in the USA, not too hard and made of recycled car tires. It would be way to big to shove in one's mouth and also smell pretty good. Prudent choice Chuck!. No good, I have tampered with an original idea from a sweet kid that just dreamed up a perfectly simple Special Opps war hero. But wait, I was raised riding in cars with lap belts or in the back of pick-ups. I was brought up in the pre-“LA Law” explosion of litigators and before the magnitudes of lobbying groups and safety labels. I played war with friends in canyons throwing rocks at each other, pursued weekly tackle football games in the park with zero pads, rode a bike without a helmet or an electric motor for hours, and would rather be outside than in. The geared-up soldier stays. In fact, I’m adding an RPG to the arsenal as long as we can fit it inside his lean six-packed stomach, next to his Lucky Strikes. Well maybe not the smokes but this GI is going to be tough. No extra softness around the belly or between the ears. No iPhones, e-bikes, 8pm bedtimes, or weekly care packages in his future. He will be a solid human being- patriotic, honest, empathetic, kind, educated, and not afraid to be a bad (ass), warrior.
We made the soldier out of clay and we packed it full of harmful goodies. It was a hit.
By Charlie Isham
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