The Garden of Make Believe

I've been reminiscing about my past... wayyy past.. Like 3-4 years old past.

I used to watch this show called "The Magical Garden of Make Believe." As a kid, I loved it. Loved everything about it. From the swings, to the squirrel, to the lollipops, to the chuckling flowers. I loved it.

Between that point in my life to now, no one believed the show existed. I used to ask people if they remembered the Magical Kingdom of Make Believe.. and people always responded with something snide like, "are YOU in that magical garden of make believe right now?" or "are you high on something - because what kind of name is THAT for a childrens' show?" Now - I wasn't high - but I'm sure the people who created the show were. Wasn't everyone at that time?

But - with the wonderful proliferation of things good and evil now on the internet, a co-worker put these simple words in my search engine, clicked the 'video' tab - and lo and behold.. The Magical Garden of Make Believe appeared before me...

I think everyone should have a Magical Garden of Make Believe. No - not an actual one, but I mean a show that brings you back to one of the best points in your life. Afterall, how much cooler does your life really get after three? I mean, at three, you have someone paying for your meals, you always have clothes to wear, you don't ever worry about the mundane details in life, like - if you poop in your pants, who is going to change you? Someone always did.. (well - I wasn't not potty trained at that point.. I swear I was potty trained already...) I mean, my life at three was cake. I'd say, I may not have had it better since... Different? Good - perhaps.. Better? No way.

So - when I saw this video, it instantly transferred me back to that moment in time... and all the nice memories, and feelings of security came back..

But I still had my adult brain, and as I watched the video unfurl in front of me, I thought - damn - this show was hokey.

I remember one of the things that really fascinated me was the squirrel's home. I wanted to go inside the home of that squirrel. I wanted to know what it was like to live in a tree. How great would that be? To live in a tree.. Wouldn't you like to see? (sorry - the regression is still very strong... ) The chuckling flowers were great too. Oh - how I wanted a swing in my home on my imaginary tree.. in a big room...

And - I really wanted that stone laden walkway...

It's amazing how many memories an actual video can bring back.

Now that I have a baby girl, I'd like to expose her to the same shows that I used to watch as a kid... but watching the TV today- it's a completely different world. Ni Hao Kai Lan would have rocked my world as a kid. I've even DVR'd some Sesame Street shows, but I have to admit, it's just not the same as when I was a kid... and not in a good way... I think there's way too much going on now - and I'm not sure why - but I feel as though the puppets (the Elmos and Ernies and Berts of the world) are just screaming.. Did they always scream and carry on this way? And WHAT happened to Suffleupagus, lovingly referred to as 'snuffy?' He was the best ever..

But - I digress.. My point is, you want to share a little bit of your past with your kids... You want, perhaps, to be able to talk about how you felt watching the program and how your kid felt- with your child when you're older..

Now, however, watching that show online... I'm not sure if I would.

Maybe I'll keep chuckling flowers to myself...

and that squirrel's home... I still want to find out how that squirrel's pad is decked out...