The Only One

"The wonderful things about Tiggers is Tiggers are wonderful things. Their tops are made out of rubber, their bottoms are made out of springs. They're bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, pouncy, fun, fun, fun, fun, fun! And the wonderful thing about Tiggers is I'm the only one!"

I grew up loving Winnie the Pooh and to be perfectly honest, I still do. There is just something about heading back to the Hundred Acre Woods with Christopher Robin. There was always a good ending to a story that began that way. I have an affinity for happy endings, or even endings that are really good. Most of those are happy though.

I used to think that if I were a character in a Winnie the Pooh book, I would have been Kanga. I have been accused many times of being very much so a mother and that doesn't bother me. My title in high school was Soccer Mom until my friends decided that since we are in Canada, I must be a Hockey Mom.

I have come to realize over the past few years that I have more in common with Tigger. He has a complete inability to be still and I have to admit that I have become very much like that. I am beginning to cultivate my inner stillness again, but that is something that will take time. Probably a lot of time. There just always seems to be something else to do in life, something else to see, something else to try. Since I have come to the realization that there is always something else important to do, other than simply sit still, I have developed a bounce and a certain speed in certain things. Not in writing essays, but many other things.

The most important aspect of my claiming a Tigger identity is the realization that I am an Original. There has never been anyone like me and there never will be again. I am completely unique in so many ways. I know there are a few people who are glad that there is only one of me or else there would be chaos in the world. There may be chaos in the world with only me, but I can't really claim that is totally my fault. My housemate has a hand in it as well.

It's really exciting to be the only one. To know, without a doubt, that there will never be anyone who can really replace me in the world. If I was gone, there would be someone who missed me. That's pretty cool. So I won't be a Tigger. But I will get to be me. I think that might be bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, pouncy fun enough.