Why would a cash register be a toy?

The weirdest thing happened. I was on a bike ride, it was a gray sky October afternoon.

A neighborhood street right off the main road there was a park I passed. In the park a ways there was a group playing a game in the volleyball court. Their belongings set on a nearby picnic table.

I wasn’t really paying attention to them, I just knew they were there.

In my peripheral vision, for a brief second, the pile of their things on that picnic table looked like an old Fisher-Price cash register toy.

Enough so that I turned and looked. Like it made sense that’s what it was? Why would that possibly be what was there?

I spent the rest of the bike ride thinking about that. First, trying to think why my subconscious would pick out that particular object to identify?

Then, the rest of the time I thought about what a silly toy that was. A cash register?

It just had 3 coins, they only fit in the designated slot and the drawer would open when you pulled the lever.

I would have loved to have been in the room when that idea was pitched. If someone asked you to think of a toy for kids I doubt anyone would go: “Got it! Cash register!”

But it did work. Not one person I know growing up doesn’t know what you I’m talking about I’ll bet.

A cash register?!