I’ve been thinking about beginnings and about my path growing up as a kid. There’s a tie in with Obesity, wellness, and a unique way I used food as protection, — more on that will come later.
First I want to speak on how I adapted and responded when odd things were tossed my way that I didn’t understand. How events shaped the way I coped with stress, fear, and curiosity. Being raised by elderly parents and having no siblings who lived with us, I learned a lot on my own and spent a great deal of time inside my head.
The go to strategy for me was creativity and imagination. One way I experienced pleasure and relaxation during intense emotional times (besides eating) was through claiming a symbol I could orient myself with. This post is about that.
Later on I want to talk about how I used food to survive — not in the way you might think, I’ll go into that in subsequent posts. For now I’ll tell you about the story of my becoming a bus geek and how identifying with the tiger helped a little girl make sense out of a strange world.
Part 1
AP Michael Probst - Daseep the tigress
I picked up my beloved stuffed tiger at a gift shop in a Greyhound bus station as mom and I waited for the route 306.
I vividly remember that first gift shop sighting of my pal, then imprinting on him (Linus and his security blanket had nothing on me) because I was a tigress too – a bus terminal tigress exploring a jungle with concrete steps, vending machines, and coin operated TVs.
There were many opportunities for epic six year old adventures in the stretched moments and minutes as we waited for our coach to roll in and take us the twenty odd miles up north to Everett, WA.
When we’d get to the end of our passage, mom or I would go to the phone booth, drop a quarter in and ring up dad to pick us up at the Texaco on Hwy 99 a mile from our house.
If the day was nice or we couldn’t reach dad, mom and I would walk on home. More on dad later.
Tig and I went everywhere together – a bonded pair of two toned kitties. Being two toned was something I knew well as a mixed race kid in the early 60s when it wasn’t seen quite so much. Tig was gold and black. I was black and white – and no longer alone.
It was painfully obvious how different I looked from my white mom who was unsure how to manage my wild curls. Honestly, I wasn’t sure how to manage the curious looks and questions about my dad, “Where’s he at?” “What does he look like?” “You’ve got some black in you right?”
My presence was public domain – me with my little girl exotic-ness self. People didn’t know what to think, and by simply being born I was reluctant representative for biracial babies everywhere.
I didn’t know what to say to these people! So Tig came to me at the perfect time to help the world make sense and stop wishing I was one or the other. Black or white. There was finally room for me to be the “and” child. Another choice. Tigress with invisible stripes.
What about you feels unique?
Are you comfortable with it or do you wish you could tone it down?
If you have no choice but to be unique, how do you cope with it?
Leave a comment or, email me privately at linda (at) lindaeaves (dot com) if you’d rather it be between you and me.
And, I’d love it if you’d show me your tiger teeth.
Information posted on or sent to you from Linda Eaves.com is not a substitute for medical care or treatment. Nothing takes the place of speaking with your doctor, nutritionist, or other medical care professional. PLEASE CONSULT WITH YOUR DOCTOR OR OTHER HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL BEFORE MAKING CHANGES TO YOUR HEALTH CARE.
On bus stations and baby tigresses with invisible stripes….
by Linda Eaves on August 19, 2011
I’ve been thinking about beginnings and about my path growing up as a kid. There’s a tie in with Obesity, wellness, and a unique way I used food as protection, — more on that will come later.
First I want to speak on how I adapted and responded when odd things were tossed my way that I didn’t understand. How events shaped the way I coped with stress, fear, and curiosity. Being raised by elderly parents and having no siblings who lived with us, I learned a lot on my own and spent a great deal of time inside my head.
The go to strategy for me was creativity and imagination. One way I experienced pleasure and relaxation during intense emotional times (besides eating) was through claiming a symbol I could orient myself with. This post is about that.
Later on I want to talk about how I used food to survive — not in the way you might think, I’ll go into that in subsequent posts. For now I’ll tell you about the story of my becoming a bus geek and how identifying with the tiger helped a little girl make sense out of a strange world.
Part 1
AP Michael Probst - Daseep the tigress
I picked up my beloved stuffed tiger at a gift shop in a Greyhound bus station as mom and I waited for the route 306.
I vividly remember that first gift shop sighting of my pal, then imprinting on him (Linus and his security blanket had nothing on me) because I was a tigress too – a bus terminal tigress exploring a jungle with concrete steps, vending machines, and coin operated TVs.
There were many opportunities for epic six year old adventures in the stretched moments and minutes as we waited for our coach to roll in and take us the twenty odd miles up north to Everett, WA.
When we’d get to the end of our passage, mom or I would go to the phone booth, drop a quarter in and ring up dad to pick us up at the Texaco on Hwy 99 a mile from our house.
If the day was nice or we couldn’t reach dad, mom and I would walk on home. More on dad later.
Tig and I went everywhere together – a bonded pair of two toned kitties. Being two toned was something I knew well as a mixed race kid in the early 60s when it wasn’t seen quite so much. Tig was gold and black. I was black and white – and no longer alone.
It was painfully obvious how different I looked from my white mom who was unsure how to manage my wild curls. Honestly, I wasn’t sure how to manage the curious looks and questions about my dad, “Where’s he at?” “What does he look like?” “You’ve got some black in you right?”
My presence was public domain – me with my little girl exotic-ness self. People didn’t know what to think, and by simply being born I was reluctant representative for biracial babies everywhere.
I didn’t know what to say to these people! So Tig came to me at the perfect time to help the world make sense and stop wishing I was one or the other. Black or white. There was finally room for me to be the “and” child. Another choice. Tigress with invisible stripes.
What about you feels unique?
Are you comfortable with it or do you wish you could tone it down?
If you have no choice but to be unique, how do you cope with it?
Leave a comment or, email me privately at linda (at) lindaeaves (dot com) if you’d rather it be between you and me.
And, I’d love it if you’d show me your tiger teeth.
Information posted on or sent to you from Linda Eaves.com is not a substitute for medical care or treatment. Nothing takes the place of speaking with your doctor, nutritionist, or other medical care professional. PLEASE CONSULT WITH YOUR DOCTOR OR OTHER HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL BEFORE MAKING CHANGES TO YOUR HEALTH CARE.