Sunday, December 04, 2005

The Day I Stepped Off The Kiddie Train


As with any other red blooded kid I wholeheartedly believed in all the fairytale characters I grew up with...Santa Clause, Easter Bunny, Toothfairy, Elves, Reindeer, etc. I always imagined that they were all kind of members of the same club...I don't know. Like a 'Justice League' sort of thing. In Linny Land they would all be gathered around a table discussing presents for all the little children when an alarm would sound and a red police light would flash around the room. A large television screen would suddenly appear, showing the face of a sleeping boy or girl and you'd hear, "Toothfairy, 1859 Debelle St., Ga, USA. Little Tommy Smith has lost a tooth. I repeat, little Tommy Smith has lost a tooth. Be advised." The Toothfairy would then flitter off to take care of business.

Well, there was one year when I lost a tooth and I ever so carfully put it in an envelope labled "Toothfairy" and placed it securely under my pillow. When I awoke the next day I excitedly snatched up my pillow expecting to find the tooth gone and a dollar bill in it's place. What did I find instead? My tooth. Completely distraught I carried the envelope to my mother who assured me that the Toothfairy hadn't forgotten me. She said the problem was that she had forgotten to crack my window before I went to bed so when the Toothfairy came, she hadn't been able to get in. That night, I watched as my mother cracked the window and then I tucked the envelope under my pillow. This time I woke up and was ecstatic to find a crisp dollar bill on my pillow. All was well again in Linny Land.

Until...a few weeks later. I had dragged a chair over and was searching through one of the kitchen cabinets (I can't remember what I was looking for) when I spotted my Toothfairy envelope. I remember that moment very clearly. Eye filled with tears. That is the day I realized that fairytales were just that....fairytales.

28 Comments:

Blogger Innocent Bystander said...

Fairytales do exist... they just change... you don't have the kids ones anymore. You have the more grown-up fairytales where you become the lead character... perfect partner, perfect kids, perfect nights out and perfect life. We create new fairytales... as we get older we don't need fairies and Santa Claus (Father Christmas to me an d the other crooked-toothed Brits in the world) we're just hopeful for other things, hopes and dreams change but all still needs a bit of luck (or magic fairy dust if you're a child or a romantic)

I'm a romantic... fairytales are just symbols of hope, a better future and that the world is a good place where good things can happen amongst all the crap. Let go of fairytales and you're only left with the prospect of booze and Valium. :-)

12/04/2005 1:33 PM  
Blogger Princess Pessimism said...

Oh Linny...that's horrible!!! I rememeber the easter bunny always had the same writing as my mom, and santa always had the same wrapping paper. My parents werent really all that big on supporting the fairytale aspect of life.

12/04/2005 1:36 PM  
Blogger Autumn Storm said...

Wonderful post, Linny,
sad though!
- and in tune with my thinking this year (mostly because she is 8 now) what's going to happen the day my daughter finds out, I have been lying to her/tricking her all this time.

12/04/2005 2:22 PM  
Blogger Drywall Mom said...

I felt the same way when I figured it all out when I was a kid. But then I realized that it was more of a tradition thing and it didn't hurt me as much.

12/04/2005 4:07 PM  
Blogger teh l4m3 said...

I'd be careful about posting stuff like that. One girl's heartfelt tale of innocence lost is another's slash fiction...

At any rate, it made you the tough, independent glamazon you are today. See what I did there? I found the goddamn silver lining!

12/04/2005 5:21 PM  
Blogger Cheryl said...

Aw! I remember when I found the Easter Bunny candy in a cabinet. Rough stuff...

12/04/2005 5:28 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Omg, I hate it when parents stun childrens minds wit dat stuff! Like my sis beleives da boogeyman is real n she gets scared when I mention it ;-) PEACE

12/04/2005 5:31 PM  
Blogger Keshi said...

Who said the Santa or the fairies werent real? :)

Keshi.

12/04/2005 8:25 PM  
Blogger Courtney O. said...

That day of realization is such a bummer. I remember when I first noticed that Santa's handwriting was suspiciously similar to my mom's. Life was never the same...

12/04/2005 8:32 PM  
Blogger Katie said...

awwwww...poor linny
i don't know when i found out the truth...i think i knew at a young age....do know..cause i don;t have a dame clue

12/04/2005 9:01 PM  
Blogger Miss Ash said...

I remember when i hid a tooth under my pillow...the toothfairy would always bring money and a chocolate bar :)

Then one evening i woke up in the middle of the night, went into my parents room and saw a chocolate bar on their dresser...the next day the same kind was under my pillow...such a sad day

12/05/2005 12:04 AM  
Blogger Crazy Me said...

My cousin showed me the box with my little teeth in it and totally dimed out my mother. I remember marching into the living room in front of my entire family and asking, "Does this mean there is no Santa?" I was always a little drama queen.

12/05/2005 12:31 AM  
Blogger DZER said...

first of all: What the hell do you mean Santa isn't real? waaaaaaaaaah!

second: I love you so much for using "Justice League" as an adverb and that you, a chick, even know what the Justice League is!

LOL

12/05/2005 3:57 AM  
Blogger Thomas J Wolfenden said...

No Santa!!!!

You're joking, right?

There's GOT to be a Santa!!!!!!!!

12/05/2005 6:13 AM  
Blogger SaffronSaris said...

My mom never believed in the toothfairy, so all my teeth were left at the dentist.

I only found out abt the toothfairy so much later.....

12/05/2005 7:30 AM  
Blogger JM said...

I like the whole league of do-gooders thing. Very cute. You should write a children's book.

12/05/2005 8:14 AM  
Blogger Natalia said...

Hmmm...it was always very clear in my head that fiction was fiction and reality was reality. But then again, truth is stranger than fiction, so it's all good :)

-N

12/05/2005 8:45 AM  
Blogger PAINKEY said...

good post Linny, young or old, one cant help but wanna believe in fariytales, whats not to like about them, goddies, happy endings!

12/05/2005 11:33 AM  
Blogger Becky L said...

when i worked one summer at a kids camp, i was at the pond with a bunch of kids. one caught a bullfrog and asked me to kiss it.

i did... and in some small way was surprised that it did not turn into a prince.

12/05/2005 1:44 PM  
Blogger berly02 said...

That is so sad.
My brother told me there was no Santa when I was seven. When I told my mom that, she said, "of course there isn't if you don't believe".
I assured her that I do believe. But maybe we could pretend for my brother's sake.

12/05/2005 1:58 PM  
Blogger Alice said...

aw, how sad! and cute :-) i didn't have one revelatory moment (maybe a good thing?).. just grew out of santa eventually. i do remember searching the house for presents one year before xmas, and since i didn't find any, that was irrefutable proof that santa existed :-)

12/05/2005 2:34 PM  
Blogger FU said...

i lied until grade 6 and told my parents i believed in the tooth fairy.. just for the money

they thought i had problems

hahahahah... wow.. ur posting just brought that memory back.

:)

santa does exist.. visit my blog :)

12/05/2005 5:28 PM  
Blogger A. B. Chairiet said...

Awww...poor Linny. :(

Great post though! I love the fairy picture.

And I vaguely remember my moment of disbelief. I think I said, "There's just no way Santa Claus is real. It just doesn't add up."

I've always been a bit too logical.

Though now, I can't help but wonder: should I tell Baby Girl about Santa?

I hate having to lie to her, but it seems that she'll miss out on that whole "magical" aspect of the holidays if I don’t.

Any advice?
~ Ash

12/06/2005 7:53 AM  
Blogger Agnes said...

Aww Linny. I hate it when the magic disappears.
I think you should write a screenplay about your fairytale Justice League. Very original and very very cool.

12/06/2005 8:02 AM  
Blogger Agnes said...

Ok - I was reading everyone else's posts. Everyone sit down and watch The Polar Express. You'll all feel much better. :)

12/06/2005 8:03 AM  
Blogger Joe Tornatore said...

linny land, that is adorable.

12/06/2005 10:47 PM  
Blogger Jaime said...

That is so sad!
I don't remember when I realized however I'm sure it had to do with my two evil older sisters. ;)

12/08/2005 1:40 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Keep up the good work » » »

4/24/2007 1:43 AM  

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