WHY THE VELVETEEN RABBIT SCARED ME AS A CHILD?

I realize I have poked fun of some of the nonsense on the Internet where people talk about fears of clowns, department store Santa Clauses and department store Easter Bunnies. Now, I am going to confess to having been frightened by something that is frequently referred to a "beloved children's favorite." It is the children's book, The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams and first published in 1922.

I never read the book or had it read to me, but I saw an animated TV version. I tried to look for the one I watched on YouTube and couldn't find it. I had a hard time looking up information on this story or looking for the video because I get shaky and nauseated just think about the story (Go ahead, you jerks, and call me "snowflake").

So what scared me about this story that it STILL bothers me in my 40s?  Near the end of story, the little boy contracts a serious illness and a doctor tells the parents that they have to burn his toys because they are contaminated.

This probably wouldn't frighten any other kid, but since I was two years old, I have had multiple illnesses. I nearly spent several months of my early childhood in a oxygen tent at the hospital in Lebanon, Missouri, because of severe asthma. I was never able to really play outside like other kids, because what triggered my asthma was pollen and other allergens, which include trees and grass. I was confined to the indoors, so toys, books and records were my only source of fun. Imagine the terror if that was taken away and burned.

Maybe this didn't frighten other kids, because they didn't have illness in there lives or they had different circumstances in their lives. As for me, it created an anxiety that still won't go away.

At least I didn't say I'm afraid of clowns.

   

RANDOM EASTER BUNNIES AND EASTER STUFF

HAPPY EASTER FROM DESDINOVA & DORIS DAY!!!

I picked this photo because Doris had a birthday today.

BUNNIES AND SUPERHEROES

SUPERMAN (George Reeves) & EASTER BUNNY

HOPPY THE MARVEL BUNNY

DOLLY PARTON AS EASTER BUNNY

ELVIRA, EASTER BUNNY OF THE DARK

I HOPE THIS BUNNY COMES TO MY HOUSE

I WAS NEVER AFRAID OF THE EASTER BUNNY (or Clowns)

I've seen quite a bit of photos on the Internet of frightened, crying children on the lap of a department store Easter Bunny. Yes, some of the Easter Bunnies range from goofy to slightly scary.

Now, I'm going to upset people (which I like to do): I was never frightened by the Easter Bunny. Either my parents didn't make me feel that the Easter Bunny was threatening or I have no problem with six foot tall rabbits posing for photos with children at department stores. First of all, children are not supposed to be afraid of the Easter Bunny. They are supposed to be fun.

When I was about ten or eleven, I bought this Unexpected comic book. The cover is better than the story inside. In the story, giant Easter Bunny kidnaps a kid at an Easter egg hunt, covers the kid with chocolate and then bites the kid's head off as revenge for all the chocolate bunnies who had their heads bitten off my bratty children. In the passing years, I've seen this issue mentioned on list of the "dumbest comic book stories ever."

Let me also mention something else that I'm proud of: I AM ALSO NOT AFRAID OF CLOWNS. I don't understand the fear of clowns. I have seen whole websites dedicated to the hatred of clowns and I am more frightened by the people created these websites. The vitriol and hatred plastered on these websites are comparable to racism and homophobia. I feel the fear of clowns is so preposterous that I'm working on a giallo-type novel about a "killer clown."

Contrary to what these websites lead you to believe, there have been very few, if any, recorded clown/Easter Bunny child kidnappings.

I've noticed that the people I know on Facebook who seem to fear clowns and Easter Bunnies are the same one who think teenagers are stupid and should pull up their pants, the media gives more attention to celebrities than soldiers and the government is going to take away their freedoms. The bad part, many of these people are former classmates, who felt they were superior to me and called me a dork. At least, I can say I've never been afraid of a person in a Easter Bunny costume or a clown. Who really is the dork?

Of course, my opinions are why I'm considered the Super-Villain of the Ozarks!!! Mwu-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!