Good Morning,
Did I say I was a Tigger Fan? Well I’ll say it again… “I’m a Tigger Fan.” The song
The thing is…I’m not quite sure exactly when I became a fan of Tigger. I think it may have had its genesis when I was 30 and single again for the first time in 12 years. For me, that was a time of new discoveries… discoveries about a new start in my life… discoveries about myself mainly and maybe things I had suppressed…about what I wanted in life and where I wanted to go with it from that time on.
I didn’t grow up with Tigger like a lot of people, although in a way I kind of wish I had. It would make more sense than to adopt the character later in life. Maybe less weird as some might think. (Probably my kids) fortunately there are Tigger fans everywhere. I see them on license plates, vinyl appliqués on car widows, keys and key chains and web sites. One, which is literally “over the top”, is by Skip C who goes by “Tigger Man”. I had to add his site to my Blogroll. I’m not alone on this and cannot claim to be unique like tigger himself (The Only One). In Randy Pausch‘s The Last Lecture: Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams, he asks whether one should live their life as a Tigger or as an Eeyore. Pausch indicated that he was a “Tigger”. I like that.
I think the personality traits of Tigger represents many of the things I would like to have as my own and a few I could do without.
The traits I like:
- Cheerful
- Outgoing
- Competitive in a friendly way
- Complete confidence in himself
- He never gets lost
The traits I care not to embrace:
- Jumping into things totally based on emotion
- Overestimating his abilities
That being said, there is a saying; “What we dislike in others, we dislike in ourselves”. Maybe that is the case with Tigger and myself as well. For there have been times when I have done things totally based on emotion. They usually do not turn out as well as the things that I can approach objectively. Yes and there have been times when I have overestimated my abilities. Those too are hard to forget, especially the feelings involved when I realized it. So maybe I have all of those Tigger traits and just prefer not to acknowledge them, or maybe I just have.
The thing is… I like Tigger and the “kid” that the association to the character brings out in me. I think it is critical to be a bit irresponsibly at times. I think it is essential to stay young inside even while our bodies’ age beyond our control. I also think that we cannot take ourselves too seriously and miss the opportunities that bring and share laughter. That is a few of the reasons why I have a Tigger Tattoo. The stance is significant because it shows that this Tigger is ready for just about anything that comes along. You could say he is ready to bounce, ready to hug or ready to fight if need be. Like so many things in life, it is all in how you look at him or the situation that makes the difference. I really couldn’t think of anything else I wanted on my body for the rest of my life and besides, this way I am reminded every morning when I am checking out the “man in the mirror” just who I have chosen to be. It is important that I like what I see.
I know and am constantly aware (like I think many people my age) that I am getting older and like
everyone else in this world, I will have to come to terms eventually with my own mortality. I know I would rather have “Tigger Fan” on my tombstone than “He Was Very Responsible”. After all it is about making a difference and if mine is to help spread this philosophy, then I’m ok with that.
As I have said before, let the kid out now and then. It will help keep you young.
Love, Dad
2020? Well that’s when my 1000 marbles run out. After that, it’s all bonus time baby!
Images:
Tigger Wink: Tigger Wink
Tigger Bounce: Mutiple palces on the web.
My Tattoo: That’s Mine.
Tombstone: Tombstone Generator What do you want on your Tombstone? Not the pizza.