| Most, if not all, young kids had an imaginary friend while growing up, and I was no different (at least in that respect). Hey, even now most people who know me say that all my friends are still imaginary! When I was a young kid, my imaginary friend was named Mum Mum. He lived in the bottom of the doorway beam upstairs. His den was entered through a small opening on the bottom of the beam and was located inside right beside the chimney, resulting in a nice warm and toasty place in the winter! One time I took some paste and a small pad of pink paper and "wall papered" the wall of his outside entrance. Tim always looked on Mum Mum with a very skeptical attitude, thus doubting his actual existence! One time, in my absence, he took a pencil and pushed it into the small opening to Mum Mum's house. He later informed me that it only went in about 1/2 inch and hit a solid dead end. He thought he really had me until I explained that Mum Mum had an inner door that he always kept shut! One of my standard answers to my brother when he asked me where I was going, was, "I'm going to Mum Mum's house!" One of the most unusual thing about going to his house is (errr, I mean was), that as soon as you entered, Mum Mum would, "Stuff your mouth full of sugar plums"! This practice, I'm sure, was gleaned from the times each Christmas Eve when our Dad would read us "The Night Before Christmas" as he sat right in front of Mum Mum's house entrance. Even with the inner door closed, he could still hear it especially the part, "...When visions of sugar plums danced in thier heads..."! (Or in Mum Mum's case, mouths). As near as I can figure, Mum Mum is (oops, I mean was), either a mouse or a very small elf since at various times he took on both forms! As mentioned in an earlier story, I indeed had an exceptional imagination as a kid. Of course, when we become adults, we outgrow our childhood imaginary friends! The only exception now is that when I forget to take my medications for a few days, Mum Mum always reminds me to get back to taking them again! ;-) He is (errrr, I mean was), a great friend and I can just taste those delicious sugar plums in my mouth right now! Well, if you will excuse me, I have to cut this story short because I have to go visit "an old friend"... |
