On a morning walk, my wife and I crossed paths with a woman hurrying to her car. She had a young girl in tow that just wasn’t in the mood to be rushed. The woman, presumably the mother, avoided eye contact, her focus riveted on her destination. But, the girl glanced over at us, saw our smiles and buried her own shy smile in the plush fur of the big toy bunny she hugged tightly with her free arm.
The bunny was two thirds her height and at least as big around as she, and the need was clearly present for the comfort of its warm, soft, squeezable girth on that cold, hectic, winter morn.
The mother looked like she could, as well, use the comfort of a big soft bunny. Maybe that’s the problem with adults—they dare not walk around with big stuffed toys hugged tightly to their insecure places—it just isn’t cool. How often I would have liked a warm, fuzzy plush bear pressed tightly against my chest and belly while waiting in a doctor’s office, or for a job interview, or while doing a sales presentation, or sitting in a restaurant waiting for a blind date to arrive.
I suspect things would go a lot better if everyone had a soft, pillowy pal placating their gut during life’s more trying moments. I think people would find it easier to relax, and allow life to proceed a little slower. Behind this furry buffer, hearts could be more patient, compassionate and prone to concession. Behind the safety of a plush protector, people could be more congenial and pleasant to one another. It would also be a great conversation starter. “I like the teal fur on your…is that a platypus?”
There is plenty of precedent for this possibility. What is the top prize at a carnival? A giant stuffed animal! Even if stuffed with sawdust, the allure is still real, and the disappointment, telling. Teddy is also the name of a popular sexy garment, and, at least for a guy, portends something soft, warm and reassuring pressed against his midsection. What saves us from injury during an automobile accident? A pillow—firm at its explosive peak, yet still soft relative to dashboards and steering wheels, and far more dull than the edges of shattered glass.
Men would resist this the most. It’s hard to imagine a football line of scrimmage restraining a row of teddy bear hugging blockers, or a board meeting table flanked by furry pal hugging executives, or a jackhammer toting highway worker with a fat toy cat strapped to his chest. But, wouldn’t it be a bit difficult to wage war if generals, and soldiers were all carrying fuzzy friends. And, how would a bank robbery go, with Elmo associates looking on? Or, imagine gangbangers toting plush toys. I really think the world would be a kinder, gentler place if we all gave into our urge for plush.
Maybe this would be easier to implement, if the plush wasn’t visible? What if we all just carried plush in our consciousness–a vision of a favorite furry friend waiting for us at home? Then, in those trying times one could simply imagine a pillowy faux paunch providing protection from the perils of the moment. There is power in thought—so say the quantum physicists and spiritual mystics. Hold a thought in your mind and it will manifest in the real world. Taken too far, this could be embarrassing, but perhaps, with the proper measure, pondering plush in the moment will provide just enough fortifying consolation, to face a daunting task, or weather scathing criticism, or turn cold hearts to kindness. And, if we’re all doing it, such that not doing it is an oddity, then who can point fingers?
Plush—it’s what is missing in the adult world. Just ask any child.