The author uses a dialogical autoethnographic approach informed by symbolic interactionist theory to examine the role of toys, play, and parenting decisions on his childhood development and adult opportunities and interests. He examines how self, others, social contexts, and objects, particularly toys and adult analogues for those toys, came together to produce a range of life skills and interests central to his adult life. He also interviewed his mother, following Heewan Chang's recommendation not simply to rely on an individual's recall. His analysis identified three sets of skills and interests central to his identity: reading and creative writing; design, construction, and repair; and musical performance and composition. He considers these within the context of the 1950s and 1960s, including the expansion of youth culture, his suburban neighborhood, and his childhood friendships. He also reviews the potential of an autoethnographic approach to social science research.