It has been tough being over 40 and keeping a blankie. I have maintained an active blankie two ways:

1st, I switched to 100% cotton T-shirts. I know this sounds contrary to the "single continuous blankie from childhood theory", but my blankies end in tatters from use to begin with. And yes, the break-in period of 2-4 weeks til optimal softness sucks. Anyway, it is easier to explain a t-shirt, not that I've had many people to explain it to, but I have been known to carry, and been caught, with my blankie in public and at work before. Not that I care.

2nd, the few woman who were willing to put up with me in my lifetime so far, have been more accepting of a blankie when I ask them to leave me a t-shirt of theirs to sleep with to remind me of them. Of course I still keep my "primary" blankie, but relegate it to backup until I get dumped and/or her t-shirt turns to shambles and is not replaced due to break-up, etc.

I have found the weeks of fustration breaking in new blankies is offset by the appearance of normalcy to others who enter my personal space. Although if I had my druthers, I would have my blankie over my shoulder most places I roam.

For now, at least, I can conspire to have my blankie usage go mostly unnoticed by the ignorant masses. They know not what they are missing.

Respectfully,
Mike Silva

I love snuggling up in my minky blankie with the panther picture on it!  It's so comforting.  It's even nicer when Vernu's under there with me...
Alison

My son has a toy puppy that he loves. I could write a book about the misadventures of his current puppy, known as "Chunder Puppy", and the previous puppy known as "Little Puppy", who was lost forever in a Bangkok shopping mall during the Red Shirt uprising.

DO IT! I would read it

Here is a very sad story about my teddy bear "Benjamin-Girl".

She was my favorite companion, pillow, and little thing that I would balance in the air with my feet most mornings. I didn't drag her around with me all day because she was specifically for sleeping and sitting in the closet (which I did to soothe myself). I did bring her whenever we had a school-overnight trip or I spent the night somewhere. She was the best teddy- I remember when I named her, I was about 3 I think and I named her after my cousin Ben.

As I got older (undiagnosed aspie/autist, and transgender), I went through a lot (which mnay here may be able to relate to), with not being able to explain why I was anxious (sensory issues), getting yelled at or called inappropriate for my strange behaviors (stimming, making loud noises, talking to myself, sitting with my legs in the air). And with not having any friends, and knowing that I was not normal but not knowing why.

I was so sad, and I decided one day, when I was 13, that it was time for me to "grow up" and not have a teddy bear. I made a ceremony out of it...considered it a coming of age type thing (hehe I've been interested in other cultures for at least 10 years now). I announced to my little brother (who was about 10 at the time) that I was going to cremate my teddy-bear. I was so angry at who I was, and my teddy represented everything I thought was wrong with me. She was my inner child- she was my innocence- she was my comfort. She was all the things the world was trying to take from me.

And so I poured nail polish remover on her and burned her (not entirely, for I quickly noticed that she wasn't made completely out of cotton, so she was polluting the air). I then put out the flames, wrapped her in a plastic bag, and threw her at the bottom of the garbage bin.

I seldom thought of her- tried to forget what I did. Until recently, now that I understand myself more. I wish I still had her with me.

This post was last modified: 06-25-2012 02:32 PM by sg1008.

I like to snuggle with my cat, when its her idea.