The news is that Crayola is retiring the Dandelion colour and will soon announce its replacement with something blue.

And Monopoly has retired some of its familiar pawns. The new pieces will appear in the fall when the new games appear: T-Rex, Rubber Ducky, and Penguin. Can one say ‘new’ about a game that has been with us since 1935?

Crayola and Monopoly.

These are two symbols of our childhood, even mine (note the 1935 date on Monopoly), two of very few that can be considered universal, certainly North American universal. Maybe ubiquitous?

We are such disparate consumers now, who knows who we are? I guess Facebook is trying to piece us together. It would be interesting to make a list of our/your/my triggers, the elusive but indelible markers that elicit a knee-jerk response.

I can name the past ones - see above – some of them. But what are the more recent ones, where are they, what are they? Tell me.

Think about it. I’m going to have to ask my children and grandchildren about this.