Chapter 3: Boring yet?

It was a warm summer's day when.... If you look closely at many stories, that is exactly how they start each and every time. But not this one, oh no. Everyone, if they choose to do so, has a different and sometimes more or less interesting story to tell. Whether other people will find it interesting or not is dependent upon whether the story is written, told, or shown well. If not, well then you will lead a life unbeknownst to the world. If your story stands out from the crowd, with a ribbon around it and a glorious line of events inside, well then I believe yours will be remembered. And every story, big or small, needs a background.

Well that was a little piece of wisdom I've been thinking about recently. Especially around the holidays (Christmas was yesterday), it is important to be thankful for what you have. Even if you think you have nothing, you are alive, and that is a whole lot better than many poor souls resting below us in the ground. So, Merry Christmas and happy holidays; may you live a long, happy, eventful and beautiful life, because in the end, it's not about how much money you earned, it is about how much you were able to impact the world and the people around you.

Speaking of the holidays, I remember when I got my very own doll, Anabel. It was on December 6th when I was about 5 or 6 years old. Why December 6th? Well that is the holiday know as Sinterklaas, or St. Nicolas. It is celebrated in various European countries, and it is actually where the idea of Santa Claus came from. When you are a child you get excited about little things. When I was a child I would get very excited whenever there was a holiday. In fact, I still do. But now I dread when my birthday comes, because even though I am not even an adult yet, I know I will soon be one, and every passing year will pass faster and faster and faster. I want to be able to fully experience the ability to be carefree and young. For it doesn't last forever. However much we may want it to, it comes and goes quicker than you would have thought, snatching away your joys and bringing stress and bills into your life. But not yet, and certainly not when I was 5 or 6. Because at that time, I got a new friend. I got a friend that would comfort me when I was sad, would listen to me when I complained, would let me put on whatever clothes I should so choose, and would even lay, uncomplaining, in the yard if I had forgotten her. Much of my childhood I spent with this friend, who I still have to this day.

So where does this societal fear of dolls come from? It can't just be from horror movies, can it? In my opinion, people are just afraid of missing their childhood. All people want to do is grow up. But what does that even mean, grow up? Dolls define a girl's childhood, at least they did when I was growing up. Even more so before I was born. Back then there were no phones, no computers, no electronics that you could pull out of the blue to play with. Back then kids were content with playing jump-rope, hop-scotch, even drawing on the side walk with chalk. I was content with all of those things. I was content with picking apples and riding around in a go-cart being chased by elder siblings. It honestly saddens me to see how quickly the world changes. People take less value in happiness and more in meaningless pieces of paper that allow them to feel important. In a hundred or more years from now, historians will look upon our time and analyze our way of life. Maybe they'll be worse than us, but maybe they'll have learned from our mistakes. For the future of mankind and the world, I hope the latter will take place. I know I'll keep my Anabel forever, if not physically than in my heart. Some things just should not be forgotten.