Saturday, October 25, 2008

Happy Po


Teletubby waits in line
Toronto, ON, September 2006
About this photo: We're continuing this week's Thematic Photographic theme, happy. Please click here to share your own happy perspective.
At various times in my blogging past, I've mentioned that I carry around a little Po Teletubby doll on the outside of my beaten-up old camera bag (see here, here and here for archived entries of Po on her travels.) Why do I do this? Well, first, I'm a doof. But more seriously, I'm forced to stare at this slowly-fading and fraying stuffie every time I reach into the bag and grab my Nikon. Her blank little stare reminds me that sometimes you just have to laugh at yourself and ignore whatever anyone around you might say.

And speaking of others, I notice that this tiny addition to my bag often causes complete strangers to smile as they realize this grown man is hauling around a four-year-old's plaything. To wit, as I stood in an impossibly deadlocked line of delayed travellers at Canada's largest airport and took this admittedly ridiculous picture, folks around me found a reason to smile amid the chaos.

Whether you call it Tikkun Olam or Pay it Forward, if it brings joy to the world around you then it can't be a bad thing at all.

Your turn: Do you do little happies, too?

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Carmi I'm loving this.... you Sir are one of the "good ones". I'm glad to know you're out there amongst us.

Admin said...

That's cute. I have a stuffed fox that Jove bought me.

~j said...

i carry a flamingo beanie baby on my travels. it has kept many cranky children entertained during long waits.

Susan Helene Gottfried said...

Heh. I just got done talking about my own need to heal the world, over at my blog...

Lifelong Learner said...

Hey! Po's back! And in an airport again. Really, Po needs new adventures! :)

Have a good day, Carmi!

kenju said...

I like that you carry Po with you, Carmi. Maybe I'll carry one of my froggies next time.

My happies consist of greeting cards. I like to surprise people with them, although with the cost of postage and cards nowadays, I'm doing it less.

lissa said...

When I first began rubber-stamping my art, I joined a site called Found Art. In essence, members created art - either postcards, calling cards, bookmarks etc, and left them in places for others; park benches, restaurants with the server`s tip, inside library books etc. On the back of each piece was a sticker printed with the site URL and the creator`s ID. Many people found their way to the site to report having found art, and the delight that was wrought from a simple anonymous artistic endeavor was wonderful.

This would be a great project to begin, Carmi - gathering participants to do something like what you`ve written about here, or something similar, and reporting back with results...

And btw, though Tinky-Winky is my favorite color, Po was my favorite Tubbie...

Chica, Cienna, and Cali said...

Po's such a jet-setter ;DD

Carmi, these days fall colors are making me happy....extremely happy. and they are up on my blog..... :)

craziequeen said...

Seriouly - I think Po lives at airports....

I carry 'totems' on my bags (handbags, rucksacks, briefcases), toy keyrings bought for me by friends.

My Eeyore one always makes people smile :-)

They also bring a little smile to my own lips now and then - and I know they're there...

cq

Beverly said...

I finally got a "happy" post up. Guess who it is.

21 Wits said...

I'm thinking, do they have wee little tickets you have to purchase for Po? Hehehehe!