1/18/08 – The Party Pig
I ran into an old friend the other day. Darn him. He is always smiling. That guy has a permanent smile on his face. He has been through some tough times and he still smiles. Ugh, I hate that.
You see, I am a cynical gal. I don’t know why, I am always drawn to the dark side. I can laugh with the best of them, but left to my own, I always find myself drawn to negativity and I don’t like that. January is always an introspective time for me. I try to improve upon myself physically and emotionally, and this January is no different. I have accomplished some of the weight loss issues, but I have found that I need to foster the emotional part of myself now. I want to be less negative, less judgmental, and more fun. I need to laugh more. I began thinking about my friend.
My friend, you see, is the Party Pig. He is actually a dog toy that belonged to my cat Ruth. She was an overly aggressive kitten and we needed to train her not to bite us constantly. Advice was given to buy a toy that replicated the parts of another kitten—arms, legs, ears, nose, and tail. This would give her the chance to wrestle with the faux kitten but know that our arms, legs, nose, (and tail?!) were off limits. She would learn to distinguish who was acceptable prey and who wasn’t. When we played with her, she was to be given the Party Pig.
The Party Pig has rope arms and legs, a small felt tail, and a grin so wide you’d think he new where all the good parties were. He has some cute pig ears and one thread stitched eye is coming undone, but he looks good for the abuse he has endured. The best part of the Party Pig is the party hat that he wears. It is the funniest thing –a blue polka dot hat that sits square at the top of his head. It has some red felt streamers that sprout out the top like a fountain. He is a snappy looking fellow, but why is this pig wearing a party hat? I try to imagine the dog toy manufacturer thinking “Hey, lets’ put a party hat on this pig. Dogs will love it!” It is so weird, it makes me laugh.
So, I’m being really philosophical about this guy when I see him at the bottom of my drawer. How can he smile all of the time? Is that possible? (I know, it’s stitched on, but humor me.) I’m all into the Dalai Lama and inner peace this year, so maybe the Party Pig can be an inspiration too. God knows he has been beat up, spit on, attacked, and bitten too many times to count, but that darned smile stays put. Not a thread is pulled loose. Can I do that? Can I be so forgiving and so resilient to keep my inner smile, if not my physical one, glowing? Can I forgive the negative forces in everyday life and find the beauty in the day?
I don’t know how I am going to do this, but I am going to try. I’ll sit him on my dresser for now to keep me focused on happiness. To remind me to lighten up. To remind me to find the good parties. And if I can’t do that, maybe just wear the funny hat and smile lot.