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Louise Thompson () offers inspirational advice to rock readers' lives with energy, passion, happiness, and balance.
I've been looking after a friend's little girl, Amelia. She's a very cute 4-and-a-quarter, and she has an imaginary friend, also aged 4-and-a-quarter, called Dotty.
Dotty is a bit of a loose cannon, truth be told. She spills stuff on my sofa. She is very slow to tidy up her toys. She also needs a whole seat in the back of the car to herself no matter how much shopping there is. Dotty is, shall we say, a little "high-maintenance."
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| Prince Sid plays asceticism in the woods (MS) |
Studies have shown that over half of children between the ages of 3 and 7 have an imaginary friend [the others may not be admitting it for fear of gettin gin "trouble"], and that it's no cause for alarm whatsoever.
It's a way for the child to develop his/her imagination: an involved form of pretend play. Imaginary friends can help children to cope with fears, explore ideas, or gain a sense of competence through taking care of the imaginary friend [or getting advice from unseen beings like Edgar Cayce when he was a boy].
At a more day-to-day level, children with imaginary friends sometimes blame them for misbehavior in an attempt to avoid parental displeasure. Clever! "It's wasn't me; it was Dotty!" [Or those mischievous unseen beings -- sprites, elves, pixies, gnomes, fairies, the fay, duende, devas, kumbandhas, gandharvas, yakkhas -- do it to play a prank on hapless children, who take the fall for otherworldly messes and misbehaving.] That would explain the [things that get] in the hair [of a child].
(South Park) Second party: All of my "imaginary" friends like tea.
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| What in the 'L are you doing, Cartman? |
It was cute watching Amelia have her tea party with Dotty [just like
Eric Cartman did that first time wit
h Clyde Frog and Company]. So much chatter -- her imaginary friend always there to hang out with and offer comfort and companionship.
It's a happy relationship.
It got me to thinking. We don't do this as adults, of course. We don't have imaginary friends, do we? It's hard enough keeping up with all our real friends, right? But though we don't have imaginary friends, I do think that many adults secretly have ongoing relationships with
imaginary enemies. I think we adults do a
reeeeally good line in imaginary enemies:
More
Like a Girl: #likeagirl
(
#LikeAGirl) Using "like a girl" as an insult is a hard knock against an adolescent. And since the rest of puberty's really no picnic either, it's easy to see what a huge impact it can have on a person's self-confidence, particularly girls but also eccentric boys. Hey, you're not allowed to be yourself; adjust yourself to social norms:
She is such a pretty girl
Her shape fits well into a mold
Her mind removed, her body sold
She does exactly what she's told
He is such a brave young man
If his brain can't then violence can
His heart drained since life began
Of the compassion it once had
Why go on living in the past?
We just uphold this sexual farce
Past is past is past is past!
Why go on living in the past?
("Farce" Nick Blinko/Rudimentary Peni)
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| I'll kick your @$$ like a girl, that's what. - Cut! |
Are you "normative"? Get with it. Just look at you! Don't you want to be
cool? In the epic battle to ensure that girls everywhere keep their confidence during puberty and beyond, we can start by showing everyone that doing it
#LikeAGirl is an awesome thing!
It is. Lauren Greenfield kicks it off with this video. "When the words 'like a girl' are used to mean something bad, it is profoundly disempowering. I am proud to partner with
Always to shed light on how this simple phrase can have a significant and long-lasting impact on girls and women. I am excited to be a part of the movement to redefine 'like a girl' into a positive affirmation." What do YOU do #LikeAGirl?
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| Hey, Ms. Trump, what do you do like a girl?- I work, that's what. - (*Long pause*) You're dad's a jerk. - Yeah, he is. - Well we guess you're okay, maybe (ivankatrump.com/Daily Mail). |
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