A Year of Blogging: July 10, 2011

July 10 was 'Teddy Bear Picnic Day'. Remember having teddy bear picnics? I know I had at least one either in school or at the town library's story hour. Everyone brought their teddy bears and together we sat on a big blanket, enjoying lunch. It wasn't silly or weird. No one worried about your sanity. It was innocent and sweet and perfectly normal. Sadly, for most of us, teddy bear picnics are things of the past. Memories from childhood that have been tucked into the same bin as mud pies for dinner and wishing on stars. They are things we have outgrown. We know better now. You have to eat a balance of protein and vegetables for dinner. Mud is not tasty, but very messy. If you make mud pies, you have to clean up the mess. We live in cities where light pollution blocks the stars. Wishing doesn't get you far anyway. You earn things by working for them. And you can't have a picnic with a teddy bear. I have always considered myself a creative person. I march to the beat of the drum playing in my head, not the drum society says we should march to. Oh sure, there's work, the house, the car. But the fact that my house is purple should tell you I don't always do what is considered 'normal'. Most of my neighbors don't know that inside the purple house is a room dedicated to Teddy Bears. While I play with the bears, and even talk to them, I must admit, it has been a long time since we had a picnic. Playing with my niece makes me realize how much of my imagination I have lost. How much worse it must be for non-creative people! Adulthood is the worst thing for your imagination. Sometimes, we just have to let go and act like a kid. Get in touch with your inner child, and stop worrying about what others think. It seems the best way to do this would be to grab your favorite bear (or several hundred of your favorites), a blanket, and pick a nice spot in the yard (or a park if you don't have a yard). Lie back and let the imagination flow!