Hi! My name is Green Dragon, and this is my main-character-origin-story.
I am likely made in China, but my conscious adventures began on the day that my mom, whom you might know, brought me home from the NC State Fair on a cool, brisk October night in 2022. She had played many fair games and had not won any prizes despite her extensive research on how to win them. She probably saw me among the prizes of the water gun race game and decided to take a seat. Lo and behold, she beat 13 other children and chose me as her prize! Wheeeeeee!!
The first few months, I spent a lot of my time in mom’s living room, lounging on the couch with her 2 cats, Mocha and Latte. They liked snuggling with me.
Fast forward about one revolution of the Earth around the sun, Mom moved to a new place, and it seemed that my presence no longer matched her new apartment’s aesthetic. I was a little hurt at first, but Mom just kept me buckled in the back seat of her car, occasionally serving as her pillow during long road trips! This was when I got to go EVERYWHERE Mom went—as long as the car was there, I was there too!
My grand adventures really began this past October (2023). I don’t quite understand what happened, but there was this other human, a boy, who used to join us on our adventures. Something about him wanting to become the best version of himself by dedicating all his time to making something, which I guess meant he kindly asked my mom to exit his life. It’s confusing to me because I don’t really grasp adult human stuff—that’s beyond my stuffed existence! Whatever the details, all I can be certain of was that my mom was absolutely and devastatingly crushed. She was so sad that she drove us all the way to Suwannee, Florida, to attend the Hullaween Music Festival! This was the first time Mom let me sit up front with her. I saw her sing her favorite songs, cry to both slow and upbeat music, record voice memos, laugh at things she saw, and smile at (what seemed like) the sky. Mom likes to tap her feet and hands to the beat—it was quite a sight to see.
I hear Mom say that emotions are the body’s internalized understanding of the external world. If that’s truly the case, Mom was certainly not holding back in expressing her internalizations.
At Hulaween, Mom placed me in the ‘living room’ hangout area so I wouldn’t be alone. I loved seeing us surrounded by such genuine, loving people. I think she called this group her ‘Festival Family’. I don’t really understand the word “Family,” but I quickly learned that “Family” are the people you can turn to for comfort, companionship, community, and unconditional love—all things that made Mom feel seen and understood.
I certainly felt loved, and I’m sure Mom did too.
At the end of each night at Hulaween, Mom and I snuggled together. Some nights she held on really tight, and I saw tears leaving her eyes. There she goes again, expressing her internalizations. Are tears good? Should I stop them? I guess I wouldn’t know how to physically do that anyway… She drove home from Hulaween in tears, but I know it wasn’t all sadness. Deep down, she didn’t want to face going home alone, and I’m glad I got to sit with her through that long 10+ hour drive. Although Mom and I were alone, I know she’s not lonely.
Since Hula, we’ve been visiting a lot of parks. Often, I just stay in the car, but I still enjoy the ride.
The latest adventure I joined was for the solar eclipse! Wow, did Mom have a special treat for us! On our way to Buffalo, NY from Raleigh, NC, we stopped at a campground in Roanoke, Virginia, where Mom started and maintained a campfire all by herself! She was so excited, and I watched her just sit and watch the fire for hours. This was the first time I’ve seen her so quiet, and without any music playing. Have I mentioned that Mom LOVES listening to music?! Before heading to bed, Mom let out a quiet cry. She didn’t look sad, though. She looked relieved. I think crying just means she has done a lot of internalizing about her external world, and I can totally see that. I would cry every day if I had to make sense of my world! Good thing I’m a stuffed animal and can’t really do that! Hehehehe!
The rest of the drive up to Buffalo was so pretty! The mountain views with the snow was a magical sight to witness.
On the day of the eclipse, Mom went out on the water with her paddle board along with Mel (Mom’s sister), their friend Emily, and the lil dog Winnie. I stayed back with Spencer (Mel’s boyfriend) and sat in the wagon to witness the eclipse. Wheeeee!
The moments before, during, and after the totality were so uncanny, yet beautiful. The birds sang in dissonance, the frogs croaked in unison, and the insects chirped loudly in the middle of the day. Once darkness blanketed the sky, you could hear humans howl, clap, and marvel at this cosmic phenomenon. I can’t believe Mom was out on the water at this moment; it was completely dark! It had always been her dream to do a “night paddle,” so I’m guessing she can cross that off her adventure list!?!?
After the eclipse, Mom and I packed up and made our journey back home to North Carolina.
What a grand adventure this weekend was, but what a grand adventure it has been since Mom won the water gun fair game.
If there’s anything I’ve learned from this entire experience, it’s that no matter how much you prepare, just like my mom discovering me among the fair prizes, life’s adventures often unfold in their own unpredictable and magical way, much like a solar eclipse—where a mix of serendipity, odd timing, and sheer luck allows us to witness beauty in its most breathtaking form.
Until next adventure,
Green Dragon
