The Kinder Überraschungsei, which translates to “Kid’s Surprise Egg,” is one of Germany’s most popular sweets for children. It’s an actual egg made of two thin layers of white and milk chocolate, wrapped in a fine, colorful aluminum foil. When you break the egg’s two halves apart, inside, there’s a little plastic container that holds a toy.
Usually, the toy is some kind of gimmick. It might be a little plastic car you must assemble from three parts, perhaps with some stickers to put on. It could also be a puzzle or an animal. But sometimes, if you’re lucky, you’ll get a figurine. The figurines are high-quality, made from one piece, and there’s always a set of several of them to collect. I still remember the slogan: “In every seventh egg!”
Today, I was strolling through a small town that reminded me of the place we used to live in when I was eight. Suddenly, Kinder Überraschungseier popped back into my head. Next to the little town square, there was a grocery store. It was less than a ten-minute walk from my house. So, often, the neighbor’s kids and I went there and hunted for Kinder figurines.
We went into the store, counted the eggs on display, and picked every seventh one. We shook them and listened, trying to determine whether the egg contained multiple small parts or just one heavy piece. We even figured out that you could weigh them on the scale designated for fruits and veggies, and that there was a sweet spot where it was most likely you’d get a figurine. 32 grams, by the way.
After I returned home that night, I happened to browse my go-to classifieds platform for deals on Pokémon cards. I found some underpriced offers and saved them for later, and I realized: Finding a no-brainer deal on Pokémon cards now gives me the same feeling opening a Kinder Egg and discovering a figurine used to give me a quarter-century ago. Everything has changed, and yet, I’m still a collector. Always have been, it seems.
It’s nice to discover what has been there all along — but sometimes, ironically, that requires trying something new. Yes, always continue to reinvent yourself, but remember that finding yourself is also a job that never ends.