The Velveteen Rabbit
When I was Little I loved that story so much. I had the book, a puzzle, a coloring book, and a movie of it. I also had a stuffed animal I cared so much for. Rover, my stuffed dog was my dearest friend.... there was no need for me to play with imaginary friends with him around (although I still had a VERY healthy imagination). However, this healthy imagination made it hard at times for my young mind to separate reality from fiction. I loved the story so much and believed it was true. As a result because the boy in the story told his rabbit that he loved it and called it a real rabbit the velveteen rabbit turned into a real rabbit and then had to leave the boy.... troubling to a little three year old Gaby who didn't want to be left! But always a constant problem solver, I came up with a solution! I would hug Rover every night before bed look him in the eye and say "I don't love you, You are not real!" I then would look around and if alone quietly whisper in his ear.. "I'm sorry you are real I love you" and then squeeze him tightly through the night so he couldn't turn real on me. I still have that Rover and he makes me happy whenever I see him.
The Art Museum
One day when I was about 4 or 5 my mom took me and my sisters to the Des Moines Art Museum. After walking around for a bit my mom turned to find I wasn't with the group (I didn't wander often... but it had been known to happen before) she retraced her footsteps and found me in a room alone staring at a painting. When she came up to me I whispered at her... "Look mom, you can see the wind" I still remember that painting. There was a hillside and a lake with a tree by it. The tree was being blown in the wind. I like that I was able to "see the wind" then, even if sometimes I miss that now when I look at art.
Mud and freckles
When I was little I was a red headed, freckled faced, uncoordinated little thing. And to make matters worse I grew up in a neighborhood of boys. I was teased relentlessly and spent a great deal of effort trying to change. I was especially desperate in the area of freckles. I tried the lemon juice trick (False) I tried scrubbing really really hard (False), but by far the worst thing I ever did was at the suggestion of the neighborhood boys club. They somehow convinced me of the scientific healing powers of the mud down in the creek behind our house. At their encouraging I covered my face in the mud and then they said if I ate a spoonful the freckles would wash off with the mud. Well, being the turbo and intense person that I still am to this day... I thought well if one spoonful work then 3 will surely be better! (False) Not so bright I guess and I ended up very ill and lucky that I didn't get some terrible disease fro the allege in that mud! It probably goes without saying, but I still have freckles, and am still uncoordinated.... but I don't listen to the neighborhood boys anymore :)
