Kokology - Sweet Memories

{Introduction to the game}

(Pg. 42) What is it about reminiscences of childhood that stir the heart so deeply and make us long to turn back the clock? Is is that sense of returning to innocence or just the pleasure of feeling young again? Those were the days when every toy, doll, and game was a special kind of treasure. The collector’s mania for antiques and memorabilia has its roots in these childhood fascinations and the desire to relive the past, if only for a short while.

Our next encounter will take us back to that simpler time, to a little candy shop down the street. Perhaps you’ll find your younger self among the goods in stock.

1. Inside the candy store, you find rows and rows of the old familiar candies, chocolate bars, chewing gum, and sweets from your youth. Some are stacked in organized shelves, some are loose in baskets and jars. What candy do you pick first, and why did you choose it?

2. While you’re wandering the store making selections, you notice that outside a group of children look as though they’re getting ready to enter the store. How many children actually come in?

3. You make your purchases and go home with a bag of candy. But when you open the bag, you see that the shopkeeper has added some free extra candies as a special treat for you. How many did you get?

4. You’ve been thinking about giving the candy you bought as a gift to someone. To whom, if anyone, would you give it?

Remember, there are no right or wrong answers. If you choose to share your answers, you may leave a comment or you can keep your answer to yourself. Now lets see what this one reveals!

*Reading this in Google Reader? Answer the questions before you continue to scroll to see the Key to "Sweet Memories".

My Answers:

1. The first candy I picked was one of my favorites from 80's called Black Bart Bubble Gum. It had a surgery licorice flavor and only cost ¢5.
   
2. There were five children who entered the store.
3. I got 13 extra candies.
4. I split my bag of candies into three smaller bags and gave one each to my kids.

» Click to Key to Sweet Memories «

Key To “Sweet Memories”

1. If you thought something like “I’d take the one with the secret toy surprise in the pack”, you’re likely the type who responds well to people bearing gifts. If you said you choose the candy because you remember how good it tasted or it made you feel nostalgic, you are hungry for the same attention and affection you received from your mother as a child. Men, if you answered this way, you may be looked on as something of a mama’s boy. If you made your decision based on external factors, you’re the type of person who makes judgments based on appearance alone.

2. The number of children who entered the store while you shopped represents the number of people in your life you need to depend on.

Most people imagine between one and five children entering the store. People who said more than five children came in still have a way to go before they reach an adult level of independence. But those who said no children came in also need to reconsider the way they look at the world.

3. The number of free treats you got reveals how much you still depend on your mother. Most adults say one or two pieces. If you answered ten or twenty, ou may need to think about spreading you wings a little more and fly away from the nest.

4. To whom would you give the candy? The person you chose is a person you would like to be able to take care of someday or have become dependent on you. Did you say you gave it to your parents? Your wish may be a reality sooner than you think.

Was it your partner or a person you secretly like? It might be fun taking care of them for a day or two, but that could wear thin.

Or did you say you wouldn't give the candy to anyone? You prefer a life with few attachments, asking little from the world and expecting the same in return. That solitary approach means you may never have to share with anyone, but it also means you may never have anyone to share with.