Childhood Watch

When I was growing up. I had a Mickey Mouse watch, with a black leather band. I don't remember where I got it, but I think it was a birthday present. I wore it every day, even to Church. It had a pretty long lifespan, for a child's watch. I thought I'd lost it a couple of times, but luckily I always found it again. Down in the depths of my backpack, sometimes in the washing machine.

I vividly remember watching Mickey's shorts turn from red to orange over time, to almost yellow as they were bleached in the sun. Usually I would notice as I rode the school bus and the sun would come in the afternoon and fall on my left arm. (I am a left-wrist watch-wearer.) And his arms, the arms of the clock, his finger pointing at the hour or minute, got more tired with every circuit they made after about five years. It was a really good watch. I went through like 10 watchbands because they just couldn't take the wear and tear, but Mickey kept ticking.

Another relic of my growin's up was a picture of a tiger prowling through some Winter woods.

It wasn't this picture, but something close, with the tiger coming towards you, staring down whatever photographer was clicking away.

I literally had this picture hanging over the head of my bed forever. I named him Uncle Witch, and I said goodnight to him almost every night, right before I went to sleep with my...

That's right, my Snuggle Bear, from the Snuggle brand fabric softener. I loved that bear so much.

Anyway. This past week, my mom sent me a picture in the mail, of another Siberian tiger, which looked a little like Uncle Witch. I was surprised she remembered that, since he had long slipped my mind. What kind of kid comes up with a name like Uncle Witch for a bedtime guardian? I don't even know. My imagination might just be my strongest muscle.