It Hurts To Be Away From The Wild Things

On rainy days such as this, I like think and create and imagine.  Today *Mila* and I have been doing just that.  In between the mountain of phone calls and paperwork I have sitting inside of my wee brain, we've been tubing, "you tubing" that is.  I can't help but wonder about the new movie 'Where the Wild Things Are' and wonder what Maurice Sendak, author of the "Wild Things" book, is thinking to himself. 

There are a few creative imaginations in this world that I have carried forward from my childhood.  The imaginations that make you feel comforted in sadness and rain.  Mr. Sendak's creativity and imagination has carried my family through a very weak period. 

You see, we lost our own Wild Thing to Where the Wild Things Are.  He never sailed back.  As hard as that is, sometimes I can't help but wonder what our Wild Thing is up to with those yellow eyed monsters from the pages of Sendak's book.  I have a dog-eared copy that the Wild Thing's big brother gave me.  It was new when he gave it to me and we've loved and cherished that book just like we did 30 odd years ago.  *Mila* learned to read it as one of her first reads and I love the layout, the illustration and the emotion in the story.  It can be interpreted in so many ways by so many generations.  For us, the book has personal meaning, and I try to take the sadness away from the book each time I read it. 

While the movie is released into theatres today, my eyes are welled up with tears.  I can't bear to go to it and sit in a dark theatre with boxes of Kleenex.  I have to wait until it's released on DVD so I can watch my very own copy over and over and over. 

Thank you Spike Jonze for bringing this story to life.  I'm sure that you've done a wonderful, tasteful job and thank you and thanks to Maurice Sendak for the reminder.  The reminder to put our imaginations to work and share our vision with the world, no matter how crazy it may seem.  'Where the Wild Things Are' was a banned book.  To those 'diots who banned the book:  You Just Don't Get It!

Oh and for my brother's sake, "Trailer Park Boys:  Countdown To Liquor Day" opens tonight as well.

signed, the willow