shiny buddha

As a child, my family (Costa Rican immigrants) lived in a Los Angeles "suburb" called Culver City where it seemed that almost everyone was white and well off.

Not us. We were poor. Poor, poor, poor. My father drank most of his 2 job's earnings away, and the only job my mother had (for a year) was at a nursing home, but then my father got all Latin macho and forbade her to work anymore. For the entire sixth grade I had one pair of jeans. Really. We never stayed in one rental for very long, since we were always being evicted.

What a swell time that was.

Well, typical of the working poor, Christmas time was the big to-do, especially for the kids. And for my brother and I, the "big ticket" items were always the latest Action Figures (they were known as dolls for the girls)...Major Matt Mason,Johnny West, The Noble Nights, Captain Action, and of course, G.I. Joe.

We had a Mercury Astronaut (with Capsule!) G.I. Joe, various international military G.I. Joes, scuba diving Joe, "scientist" Joe, the Black Joe (with fro) and my favorite: explorer Joe, with mountain climbing gear, various boots, radio, dynamite, sleeping bag, tent, canteen and you get the picture.

All Joes came in a rugged looking "military" style boot camp box, and all the kits came with a comic book essentially telling you what to do with your doll, er, action figure, after you got him dressed up for "action" (and what a field day that phrase was later for my late pal Bruce-very gay and into men in uniforms-but I digress)...

This explorers ultimate "prize" was called, I believe, the Golden Buddha and after using all the "gadgets" Joe was able to pry the big red "diamond" off the Buddha's forehead (his 3rd eye?) and the back of the Buddha would open to reveal lots of hidden gems and pirate-booty looking stuff).

Cool.

That Golden Buddha was always near my bed, and occasionally used to hide "secret" things, as only a growing boy would need to hide-my first love note was kept in there for a year...and joints, and pills and all sorts of whatnot. No one ever suspected that the old G.I. Joe accessory still held "treasures".

That Buddha was all shiny and golden and cheap 60's plastic-y and as I grew older often the topic of conversation when noticed by visitors.

He also, after many years of looking at him just as I would nod off inspired me to look into Buddhism (along with Kung-Fu with Mr Carradine).

Over the years, most of my old toys were destroyed, lost, sold or used in weird art pieces (don't ask), but not the Buddha. He has always remained near my bed, with a diamond-less hole in his forehead.

And when pried open, he stores condoms.