Friday, May 25, 2012

My extraordinary inner-life

Isn't it amazing how you can put everyday, ordinary pictures to music and make life seem.... extraordinary.
My Dad has always done videography as a side-hobby, so I know first-hand about what this is like.... and some of the pictures make you think life is extraordianrily.....embarrassing!  I'm not ready to unveil those photos to the blogosphere...yet.

I've had moments, walking around, where it seemed like there was music in the air, or that I was actually watching my life, as on a movie-screen, from outside my body or something, because things just felt....special for some reason.  When I was a kid...the mundane of life - as it may have seemed from the outside- was actually an epic adventure on the inside...the swimming pool was an ocean (and I was a mermaid, of course), the garden my Dad helped me plant in the woods by the house was my, "secret garden," just like in the movie.  And....

I danced with my door....

Julie...seriously?....Yes. Its embarrassing, but I would pretend that the door was a boy....a prince...and I would hold the door handle like it was his hand and I'd sway the door back and forth as if we were dancing....me and the door of my heart.  I know....it sounds WAY cheesy, but if that was your little girl dancing with a door, you know you would video that and put it to music....making it extraordinary, and cute :-) Don't worry, I've given up dancing with doors and have danced with real boys since then....no princes though.

I'm the youngest of four.  Three older brothers and me...the little lady.
I was actually very much of a lady when I was a little bitty thing.  My Mom said I would only wear "spinny" dresses, tights, and "sam and libby" shoes.  The only thing that didn't qualify me as total lady were my haircuts.  Seriously...I didn't have ONE attractive haircut as a kid.

My Dad recently framed a picture of a little girl looking into her mirror and seeing Snow White in her reflection.  It hung in my room when I was a little girl and I had a Snow White dress, just like hers in the picture.  The only photo he could find of me wearing the dress was a family photo we had taken when I was probably about 5.  I told my Mom that I thought it was way cool of her to let me wear my snow white dress for our professional family photo.  I'm sure that I totally thought I was her...I was probably thinking...look at me, a princess with all of these commoners wanting to have their picture with me...that was on the inside; on the outside, I was just a little girl with a mullet haircut in a princess costume.     


My Dad blurred out the rest of the family so he could zoom in on me, my lovely dress,
my Mom, and great Granny....and, if you look closely.... my mullet
I also had an imaginary friend named, Jimmy Tootie.  I should devote an entire blog just to him...but just to give you a sneak peak about my invisible buddy, he wore green polka-dot tights (I guess I was watching a lot of Peter Pan when Jimmy came into my life ;-) He had long brown hair, and lived in a humungous bird's nest on the branch of a tree.  What? You think I  made him up!?  Well then how do you explain how I got the chocolates and Valentines from him in college?

...ok, so maybe my brother's sent them and signed it, "I'll always love you. Love, James Thomas" (My brother, Jeff, decided that the grown-up version of Jimmy Tootie should be James Thomas).... I have to admit, when I first opened the card...I might have wondered a little bit...ya know the same feeling you get when you are sort of questioning the whole Santa Claus thing, but then when you see the plate of half-eaten cookies and the empty glass of milk in the morning....part of you wonders ;-)  Its like that....except that I was in college, and perfectly capable of understanding these things...a psychology major no less - good thing I never shared any tidbits about my little friend with any of my Professor's...


Faith like a child...its such a beautiful thing....when you are a child.  After that, it tends to be defined as, insane.  But the biblical definition of Faith is like that....a little insane- believing in things unseen.  We all have faith in something, its just that our un-cool, grown-up brains are "too mature for such silliness."  So, instead, we watch movies about people who dare to believe in such things because we long to let ourselves believe like we did as kids.

The other day I went to lunch with my friend, Janet.  We were laughing because they gave her coffee in a Tazzmanian Devil mug and her personality couldn't be more opposite than that.  Then they brought mine in a princess mug...with all of the Disney Princesses on it!  I'd like to think God was trying to tell me something....well the boring grown-up part of me didn't, but that little girl in the snow-white dress did!  She's still alive and kickin' somewhere in there and I should probably let her out every once upon a time :-)

I've learned a lot from my Mom, but today I'm going to go with this lesson: If your baby girl wants to wear her princess costume in the family picture....by all means - encourage such behavior!


7 comments:

  1. Yes! Jimmy Tootie! I was waiting for him to make an appearance! This is my new favorite blog post. I ran into James the other day, I am sure of it. The polka dot pants gave it away. He is an avid bird watcher these days (probably from growing up in a giant bird's nest). He also offered to share his snack me me.... he is a really nice guy.

    That picture of you, Mom and Granny is awesome. I wonder if the photographer was thinking: "What background would go well with a Mom, a Princess, and a 93 year old... I know...Outer Space!"

    Great blog Julie, and more importantly...great haircut.

    Love,
    Jeff
    P.S.--Great advice to let that little girl inside out once in a while. As guys, your brothers will promise to let a little "Tootie" out once in a while. :)

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  2. I love this picture! I'm just glad Dad blurred out Jeff, Matt and my 3 amigos outfits. j/k. but in moms defense...I think the only other hairstyles available were the perm or pippy longstocking side ponytails so the mullet was a solid choice. (or maybe not) I never met Jimmy (Mr Tootie as Im sure he goes by now) but I can only hope my future children have such a nice imaginary friend At least it wasn't drop dead Fred

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    1. True! Mullet = solid choice in comparison to the others, and Jimmy Tootie = way better imaginary friend than DROP DEAD FRED! :-)

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  3. That evil queen in Snow White wanted the heart of the "fairest of them all". Your heart is "princess" beautiful, dear friend. Even when you are not trying, the princess is coming out.

    Also, I was considering that haircut for myself because I have a hair appointment on Saturday. Now that I have seen Snow White with it - I am going for it! Wish me luck.

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    1. How did the haircut go Shu? Glad you went for it! ;-)
      Can't wait to be able to blog about.....MAINE!

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  4. Great post...I esp. liked the part where you said we watch movies about folks who still have childlike faith in things, because we long to allow ourselves to do that very same thing. Cool insight.

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