Dolls & Figurines

What happened to daydreaming?

When I was a still a child I would often travel by train to visit relatives. I visited my grandparents frequently, and most of my time was spent with my grandmother.

There were no children's toys, or even a book to play with, but rather it was expected that I would entertain myself. That I did, often walking around the block, picking up the large long pods that had fallen from the catalpa trees.

My entertainment in the house was being allowed to look at the things on my grandmother's curio shelf. If the whole family was visiting, I was expected to sit quietly and listen to adult conversation. But when I visited by myself, I was allowed to explore - look, but not touch. I remember it as being very entertaining. I can't remember all the things on the shelf, but I do remember being impressed by them, perhaps impressed by the elegant existence they implied. I was a natural daydreamer, and just being able to envision any material to think on was an enjoyment.

My grandmother also had a doll collection that would be the envy of any museum today. My grandmother had traveled the world (many times, I expect), and collected a doll from every place she visited. They were kept in "the doll room" in a multitude of cabinets that filled the walls. I was only allowed to visit the dolls with my grandmother present, and she was patient with my extended viewing. Once in awhile she would take one out I could touch. But just to experience the multitude and variety of her collection was a wonder. Many of the dolls were from cultures where no such thing would be today, and I regret that remarkable collection is gone.

They didn't have a TV like we did, and I never heard music on the record player or the radio. I loved the quiet, the lack of intrusion, and still do. With just a little to think on, unimpeded imagination provided all the entertainment I needed.

Mary Briggs, September, 2011