This entry was previously posted to my blog last year, but I'm utilizing it today since I normally take Saturday's off. I didn't want to be alphabetically out of sync! Have a great weekend!
A few months ago, while I was
flipping channels,
I ran across the old black and white
version of the movie "Harvey".
It's the story of Elwood P. Dowd
and his imaginary friend Harvey-
who happened to be giant white rabbit.
Although Harvey seemed to
constantly get Elwood into
sticky predicaments,
there was a bond of sweetness
and trust between them.
This reminded me of my girls
when they were little-
of a time when they both
adopted imaginary friends.
Yet, their invisible companions
were not giant rabbits-
but other little girls
that were elfish and ornery
in character
and became the scapegoat
for every bad thing that
was ever done in our household.
After cleaning house one morning,
I was angry to find all the
couch cushions piled up in
the middle of the floor.
"Okay, guys- who did this?
I'm trying to clean!"
Becca replied, "D.B."
Erin said, "Beckle."
And so, for months,
D.B. and Beckle took full
responsibility for spilled milk,
muddy shoes,
fights,
and outrageous misbehavior.
Luckily, D.B. and Beckle
were short-lived-
and one day they simply
ceased to exist.
Studies have shown that
65% of children have had
an imaginary friend by
the age of 7.
Twenty-seven percent of
the children studied
described an imaginary friend
that their parents did not know about.
Fifty-seven percent of the imaginary
companions of school-age
youngsters were humans
and 41 percent were animals.
One little girl had inherited her
imaginary friend from her older brother.
When the boy had started school,
he told his mother about a
little girl named "Margarine"
who had helped him get through
the scary first day of preschool.
He talked so convincingly
and with such vivid description,
that the mother thought Margarine
was a real little girl -
until she tried to
contact her parents to thank them.
Margarine became part of
the family stories and lore-
so much, that she eventually followed
the younger sister to school.
Most children lose their imaginary friends
by the age of twelve and experts
feel that it is not unhealthy
unless it exists into adulthood.
Invisible friends that
continue into adulthood may
signal a serious psychological disorder.
(Ya' think?)
One such adult tried to
sell his imaginary friend on eBay.
This guy's imaginary friend was
named Jon Malipieman.
The man that sold Jon lived in the UK
and said that he was selling his invisible pal
because he felt like he had out grown him.
In the listings for the product the seller
stated the following:
“My imaginary friend Jon Malipieman
is getting too old for me now.
I am now 27 and I feel I am
growing out of him.
He is very friendly.
Along with him, I will send you
what he likes and dislikes along
with his favorite things to do and
his personal self portrait.”
His self portrait is the picture
you see above.
Amazingly Jon Malipieman got 31 bids
and ended up selling for over $3,000 dollars.
If you ask me,
that's pretty good money
for a lot of nothing.
Hmmmmm....
that got me to thinking...
I wonder what D.B and Beckle
would sell for!
