My Little Blue Buddy

You all have been dragged into my little world far too slowly, I think.

I do believe that it is finally that time in our blogger/bloggee relationship that I show you the pivitol material joy in my life - Eeyore.

Those that know me already have experienced that corner of my heart that is piled high with items expressing my love of this little character. Those that don't know this already: Be prepared!

I'm not completely positive about the trigger for this adorable obsession, all I know is it began to get scary somewhere around the time I got my 1999 Volkswagen Beetle and my aunt tinted Eeyore in both side windows. I already had some Eeyores in my budding collection and I suppose it just kind of snowballed from then on. This is what my husband saw the day he asked me out:

I had a total of 17 plush donkeys in my Beetle at one time - it's a wonder Kyle ever made it past hello!

I know, I know - I'm nuts. But I just can't seem to help myself! I have truly fallen in love with Eeyore's gloomy outlook on life. People always tell me that he's "emo" and he's "always depressed", but I don't see it that way. I see it as a perspective that is different from the one I seem to have on a day to day basis - and I think sometimes it's good to see life from someone else's view, even if it's only a character from a 1920's childrens book series. As pessimistic as he may seem, some of my favorite quotes came from his angle on life.

"I can't complain. I have my friends. Someone spoke to me only yesterday." - Eeyore

"Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them." - Eeyore

You now know that I love him and a small amount of why I do. The rest of the "why" is simply this: He is adorable! That's really what the bulk of my "problem" boils down to: the pure cuteness of anything that has Eeyore on it. I've come to decide that the reason for the sheer size of my collection is that I am also obsessed with being an individual. Not the dye-my-hair-pink-so-people-see-me kind of individuality, but the kind that allows me to stand out in my own little quirky ways. I know that Eeyore is a rather popular character, so in order to stand out among other Eeyore enthusiasts I feel the need to take my collection to the extreme. Here, let me enlighten you:

31 Purses * 11 Ornaments * 19 Figures * 4 Cross-Stitch kits * 2 Journals * 2 Blankets * 12 Mugs * 4 Wallets * 9 Pens * 5 Pencils * 7 Keychains * 17 Watches * 3 Pillows * 7 Dixie Cups * 7 Bottlecaps * 6 Necklaces * 7 Iron-on Patches * 1 Bobblehead * 1 Pair of Shoes * 1 Marble * 1 Music Box * 1 iPod Cover * 1 Kids Cup * 1 Scarf * 2 Yo-yos * 1 Kids Toothbrush * 1 Alarm Clock * 1 Sprinkles * 1 Kleenex Box

That is only a small portion of the list that I've made. Yes, all of those numbers are correct - I counted. On top of this small list, you must also consider my 150 plush Eeyores, an untold number of pajamas, shirts, and socks, several pairs of underwear (yes, adult sizes!) and my newest and most permanent addition, my tattoo.

Arguably my biggest Eeyore investment, I chose to have his tail forever etched on my shoulder. I didn't want the whole character, for the simple reason that any Eeyore tattoos I'd ever seen had been the same. I had to be different. I had many people tell me that I'll regret it - "You won't love Eeyore forever!" they'd say.

They obviously didn't know me very well!

So, whenever you're feeling the world has gone mad, remember this:

"Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them." - Eeyore

Not everyone is like you. Not everyone is like them. Not everyone is a "weed" that grew up in front of you just to be an irritant. Even dandelions are flowers if you take a moment to really think about it.

Everyone around you deserves a chance to be considered a flower - so take the time to "get to know them"!