As a little girl I longed for two things: 1. a horse and 2. a Raggedy Ann doll. Neither of which were to become a part of my childhood reality. In retrospect, I can fully understand why horse ownership was not a feasible dream for me. For one thing my parents didn't own enough land to support the needs of a horse, and for another, nobody in the family had a clue how to properly care for one. Sure, it's easy to see why poor little Cindy was not allowed the opportunity to glide through fields full of wildflowers on a sunny summer day, perched upon a shiny black stallion, her hair blowing back in the breeze. (all in slow motion - of course) No. For my parents, fulfilling the "horse" dream was simply not possible. BUT, to deny me the companionship of Raggedy Ann??? We didn't have a lot of money, but SURELY, SOMEHOW, SOMEWAY they could have gotten their mitts on that coveted fabric fantasy of mine!
Anyway, I shoved my unrealized yearnings to the far back corners of my mind and before I knew it I was forty-one years old. And it was in my 41st year that I met a man, who I would later marry. Guess what! He had a HORSE!!! And before long I had a horse of my very own. Along with that horse came all of the gliding through fields full of wildflowers, hair blowing back in the breeze stuff. Well, when Christmas came that year, I found myself shopping for a present for my true Love's 3 year old granddaughter. Browsing through the toy store, without any idea of what to buy for little Hannah, I turned down an isle full of dolls and there before my eyes were two beauties with flaming red hair! One for Hannah and one for ME!!! Now, I like nothing more than to point out a good "morel of the story" whenever there is one. So, the morel of the story is: Good things come to those who wait.
For almost a decade my cherished Annie sat on a folk-artsy wooden rocking horse. That is until the other day when the horse suffered a broken leg (rocker) in a freak "husband tripping over it" accident. Poor Annie was rendered horseless. Her smile even seemed to fade a bit and thus served as a reminder of poor, horseless little Cindy. It just broke my heart! What was I to do? Woe is me. Woe is Annie. Then it hit me...e-bay! The answer was obvious. Surely, I could find a rocking horse, suitable for Annie's needs, on e-bay!
The search began and after about an hour of looking at plastic rocking horses, wooden rocking horses and even rocking horses with tails missing, there it was! The perfect horse for my perfect doll was a buckskin (natural wood finish) with a flaxen mane and dowel handles sticking out from each side of his head. A less sleek version of her last steed, but what made him an even better fit for Annie was the fact that his saddle was wider and thus would keep her centered rather than slumped over to one side and looking as though she was riding all liquored-up.
Bidding on e-bay is a game in which you don't want to show your hand too soon. In other words, just because an item has obtained zero bids does NOT mean that no one has their eye on it. They could be lying in wait to bid at the last possible second to grab it up at the lowest price. (which was exactly what I was going to do to get my Annie a new ride) The time for the bid ending was near. I positioned myself in front of my computer screen, fingers on the keyboard, and.....then.....it.....happened.....out-bid!!! Someone (much quicker than myself) had swooped in and scarfed up Annie's new dream horse! The NERVE!!! Several obscenities escaped between clenched teeth as I slammed the keyboard drawer back. Stomping through the living room I went, mumbling some not-so-nice things about whoever that jackass of a horse thief was, when she caught my eye. There on the bookshelf sat my beloved Annie, looking at me through her button eyes and smiling that wonderful smile, as though all was right with the world........I punched her square in the face.
...and that, Folks, is why ebay should offer free anger management!
One Saturday, when I was working the part time country convenience store job, a slightly scruffy looking, late 20's early 30's couple came in and headed toward the automotive supplies. After a minute or two the man started walking back in the direction of my post behind the counter and said, "Do you have any...." (took one look at me) "Oh, you wouldn't know." It has always amazed me to think a person would make assumptions about what I do or do not know just by seeing my face. I've often wondered if I had a "STUPID" tattoo on my forehead that was only visible to others. I was pretty sure that (in his shallow mind) my lack of a penis severely hindered my ability to answer his question. Despite the fact that I am just a stupid girl, I figured I would humor him a little and find out what it was that I couldn't possibly have known. This is how the conversation went:
