Last Sunday, Abdiel (our grandnephew) was home to brighten our day. You could tell because our house looked like a battlefield—upside down. When Abdiel comes over, confusion takes over and everything is the opposite of what it should be. Right is left, up is down, white is black and so forth.
When he left, I went to the guest room and started to tidy up the mess. There were countless plastic toys scattered on the floor obtained from convincing his reluctant father to buy him a “Cajita Feliz” every time they went past a MacDonald’s fast-food restaurant .
For those of you who don’t have kids, let me briefly say, that a “Cajita Feliz” which translate in English to “Happy Meal”, is a creative marketing tool used by MacDonald’s to sell its junk food to children.
A “Happy Meal” is a meal specially tailored for children, sold at the fast-food chain McDonald’s since June 1979. A toy is typically included with the food, both of which are usually contained in a small multi-colored box with the McDonald’s logo.
To ensure that the trademark is internationally recognizable, McDonald’s now uses the term “Happy Meal” in Europe and the United States. In Quebec, it is called “Joyeux Festin” (literally meaning “Happy Feast” in French), in Hispanic America and Puerto Rico, it’s known as Cajita Feliz (Happy Box in Spanish), and in Brazil it is known as “McLanche Feliz ” (Happy McSnack in Portuguese).
Getting back to my story, I started to collect all the plastic toys and depositing them in a toy box, specially purchased to custody Abdiel’s trophies. But as you know, there’s a child inside all of us, regardless of age. So, the child inside me, popped out of my body, and started to play with the toys before I had the opportunity of sealing the toy box.
Since I always keep my Birthday camera handy, it also joined the innocent child’s play. It’s wonderful to be a child again, after 62 years of playing the role of an adult full of responsabilities, budgets, schedules, and what have you.
After the inner child played until exhaustion and returned to its home inside my body, this is the result of the playing activity. Take a look.
A set up of several plastic toys from Abdiel's Happy Meals collection.
Please don’t do this at home. You run the risk of being permanently banned from your local photography association. Good Day.
Hola Omar.
This morning from deep within the Heart of Texas, I called out “Cajita Feliz” to my Panamanian wife of 15 years. She was rushing about the morning routine, getting our 6 & 7 year old boys ready for school. Without hesitation, “Happy Meal” she calls back.
To avoid being banned from our local photography association, “boy” photographers will get out their expensive macro lenses and use dramatic lighting and background to create a “artistic effects.” As they say here in the USA, the only difference between men and boys is the price of their toys.
Omar, you are emerging gracefully into the world of “fine art” photography. 
Hello Michael:
This post was just about having fun with photography. I think we are all grown up kids and whenever the opportunity presents itself, we are inclined to play.
Yes, the only difference between real children and ourselves, is the price of our toys.
Thank you for your comments.
Have a great day in your neck of the woods,
Omar.-