Day 3. Imagination

Have you ever seen the Warner Brothers cartoon with Ralphie? He is a character that has a great imagination that seems to distract him from the simplest of tasks; mailing a letter, answering a question on the chalk board, going to the principals office. I can completely relate.

I am often made fun of by members of my family and my husband for getting so engrossed in television programs that I don't even notice what is going on around me. I can't help it, I become a part of the story. Singing along with Keith Partridge, helping Cindy Brady find Kitty Carryall, helping Nancy Drew solve a mystery, or feeling every emotion in an after school special.

But it goes even further than that - I can look at objects and imagine all sorts of stories. I see a sock in the street and worry about the person who lost it. Perhaps they are walking around cold and sick. No longer able to keep that foot warm has resulted in it becoming frost bitten or infected. I can even take that story a bit further. What if the sock was bullied from the other socks in the drawer. Perhaps it was an odd shape, or maybe wasn't as good a quality as the rest. Even its partner made if feel inferior. 

I'll see a stuffed animal in the store that is torn or broke and want to buy it so that it isn't tossed out - I feel them being sad that no one wants them (ask my sister how she caught me doing just that - purchasing a giraffe with a broken head. Even worse - it was going to be her Christmas present - she wasn't amused).

Before you start to over analyze that - it is truly my imagination. There isn't any deeper meaning. I just can see the entire story in my mind. 

It is for this reason that it becomes hard for me to part with things I've purchased or have been given as gifts. No matter how small, I need to imagine it going to a better life than the one it had with me. Those Christmas dishes that have been neglected for the past five holiday opportunities can't simply be given to Goodwill. I've seen how those donated items are stacked together, causing people to dig through to try and find a set. Often times being separated so terribly that they end up chipped or broken. No, my dishes have to be either given to another family or sold to a good family on Facebook. My items for sale always come with a story of how they ended up on the site.

My imagination has always been a blessing and a curse. As I was telling my friend, Lois today, sometimes I am so into my obsessive story while driving somewhere that I may end up in an entire different place than I intended to go. Because of this I have discovered more places and visited some great towns. 

Did you know that Wisconsin has two Menomonie's?

Well, I didn't either, but I found out when traveling to an event for work. Luckily I ended up in the right place because I had left early hoping to stop and get some photos along the way. 

When my children were younger we had a seasonal campsite in Townsend, Wisconsin. It was about 3 hours away from our home and due to different work hours my husband would often take the boys up on Friday after school and I would drive up and meet them after I finished work. It was a great get away and we loved our time at our camper.

On such an occasion my family was in Townsend waiting for me to arrive. I had left work at 5pm and it was now 9:30 and I still hadn't arrived. It wasn't a time before cell phones, we did have our flip phones but the campsite didn't have wireless except for up by the office.

I had been so deep in thought on my trip that I started doing what I call 'follow mode'. I simply follow the tail lights of the car in front of me, not really paying attention to much else then following those lights. I'm not sure why the driver in front of my decided to go to Nekoosa - I mean, just because that was most likely where he lived - but didn't he know I had family in Townsend waiting for me?

When I finally snapped out of it I realized my mistake and pulled into the nearest rest stop to check my paper map, which I always have in my car - because - well - reread the 7th paragraph above. 

I did have to figure out where I was, so I was happy when I went into the information area and found out I was in Nekoosa. I also was amazed that we had a city named Nekoosa in Wisconsin. I would have to come back and explore this city someday with the kids.

I figured out how to get back on track, and headed out. So here's another fun fact. I don't have the best night vision, especially when there aren't any street lights and if it's raining. At least it wasn't rain.....oh wait....it started to rain as soon as I said that in my head. 

Having an over active imagination is not a blessing when you can't see and there is the imminent threat of deer, raccoons and many other furry animals trying to cross in front of you. All I could see was an animal family sitting around the kitchen table waiting for their mom or dad to come in the door. There was no way I was going to keep an animal from returning safely to their family, so of course, I drove well below the speed limit.

I swear to you, I saw millions of animals that night - I think they must have been heading to some event. Every tree, shrub or mailbox made me jump.

There was no car in front of me to follow to Townsend. I was on my own. I stopped, every chance I could, to make sure I didn't fall asleep.

On one such stop I was happy to have my phone ring. It was Jim wondering if I was ok. I told him I was close (I wasn't) and that he should tuck the boys in and I'd be there shortly.

Another hour passed and I started seeing familiar landmarks. The Smokey Bear sign warning me that fire danger was low this weekend, the store where we bought groceries, the town candy store, the bait shop, and finally Babe the Blue Ox. No - I wasn't imagining things, the campground we went to has a giant Babe out front. 

Usually you pull in late and all the campsites are quiet with smoldering fires. But this night, in the pouring rain I could make out the shape of a person sitting outside our camper, under the awning in a folding chair. Jim had waited up to make sure I had made it safely.

We sat outside as the rain halted and listened to the rain drip off the leaves and onto the camper. We were both happy to be at our retreat. 

I was just happy that on that night, no animals missed returning to their waiting spouses on my account, and started to imagine the happy reunions they must be having, I wonder if they were sitting outside with their family listening to the rain slow?