While I was in Walmart, riding along in the electric cart and minding my own business, a woman approached me. She seemed very excited, almost hyper. Why does the text change colors??? Is it black now? Oh, good.
"Do you like stuffed animals?" Actually, that depends on what you mean. So, I said, "Yes." Who can be mean enough to say she does not like stuffed animals to a person who has an unknown agenda? She held out a stuffed bunny and told me her son and husband had gotten her lots of stuffed animals and she was trying to give them away. "Do you want this one? ''
"Is it paid for?"
I was so stunned and wondered if it had poison powder on it, or if I were going to be smuggling something out of the store. So, I have a bunny.
This is only the fourth stuffed animal I have ever had in my life. The first I received from Santa when I was eight-years-old. I still have it. My son wore it out playing with it. I still have it, minus an eye and some fur. Well, I may have had others before that, but I have no memory of them.
When I was about twelve, I really wanted a Shaggy Dog and got it from Santa.
My younger daughter gave me a white bear when she was about eight and I loved it. It was a white and fuzzy, but eventually was given away.
The new bunny is multi-colored, sitting about a foot tall with floppy ears not included in the measurement. It is sitting down with feet out like a little child. So, actually it is quite large. There is a yellow carrot and an orange carrot embroidered on the front.
It's a little weird looking but some child will love it. Now, I am on a quest to find the perfect child to receive the bunny.
I would be horrified if anyone gave me a stuffed animal as a gift. They are such a waste of money and space. I know a woman whose husband gives her several stuffed animals several times a year for gift-giving occasions.
Besides, I have allergies. So did my children.
I washed a soft, cloth doll of my daughter's, and the doll fell to pieces. Ooops! the inside was the floor droppings from a sewing factory. It was so gross that my asthmatic child had played with this doll. No, I did not buy it. So, beware, factories all over do the same thing.
How about you? Do you love stuffed animals as gifts from family and friends? Do you think the woman giving me a bunny in WM was bizarre as I do?
I think stuffed animals are the most pointless, dust catching, resource wasting, disposal nightmares on the planet.
ReplyDeleteI was happy for my kids to have one each but we ended up with gazillions because they are cheap and easy to buy so people give them as gifts. Also, my next door neighbour had a lot that an ex-boyfriend gave her and we inherited some of those. Then there were the FOUR trauma teddies my daughter was given on a five minute ambulance ride because the paramedics had no idea what to do with the surplus of bears.
I managed to give away some excess stuffed toys but not all of them which has come in handy because Harry enjoys killing a stuffie.
Giving away toys in Walmart sounds odd to me but doesn't all the odd stuff happen in Walart?
kylie,
ReplyDeleteI love the last sentence! I suppose you are correct. Who is Harry? I so agree with your estimation of stuffed animals. You said it so well.
harry is the dog. old toys are perfect for him to play with and it gives me a way to get rid of them :)
ReplyDeleteSo, they die a noble death.
DeleteWhen about 5 I received a panda from Santa, wore the fur off his arms. I made each of my boys a stuffed dinosaur on their 3rd birthday. That was the extent of stuffed toys in my family.
ReplyDeleteTwo of the thrift stores in my area refuse stuffed animals even if they are new with tags because of the uncertainty of materials used to stuff them. And, used ones? Just gross in my opinion.
Personally, I would never accept anything from someone in Walmart - too many weird people, including me, shop there.
Bellen,
DeleteCute stories. I wonder if they accept stuffed animals/toys here. I was sort of wondering what was going on. I think, from reading the tag, this is a toy won in some sort of carnival game. All us weirdos shop there.
My favorite stuffed animal when I was very little was a cat. It had been my mom's when she was little. I still have it in my cedar chest. Poor thing, it's missing an eye and it's tail is barely hanging on. It definitely got loved, LOL
ReplyDeleteOne,
DeleteMine is missing hair and fur and tail no longer squeaks when squeezed. I will I had a cedar chest for my things. Loved toys are best even if the loving sort of messed them up.
"missing eye and fur"
DeleteI hate to be judgmental, especially about happenings at Walmart, but that was just plain weird.
ReplyDeleteAnne,
DeleteSometimes I am amused. Sometimes, I am horrified. Yes, this was weird. It has not poisoned me yet.
I have a huge stuffed giraffe collection, and a few other stuffed animals I've been given as gifts. They make fun decorations in a room and I like the sense of whimsy they bring.
ReplyDeleteBreen,
DeleteSomehow, a giraffe collection seems different...lol. That seems to have purpose or something. I had an anthropologist friend who collected camels of all sorts, not just stuffed one.
I think stuffed animals / stuffed toys can be cute!
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
I am such as sucker for stuffed animals I got teary-eyed just reading this.
ReplyDelete