In Which In Which Eeyore Has a Birthday and Gets Two Presents

Wednesday's post was something of a disaster.  I don't think it was the subject matter, even though it was an odd choice, so much as a lack of depth and discussion on my part (as well as some failures in structuring).  I think the important point I left out was a real analysis of why the changes in Hamster Dance are so upsetting to me, and that is because I associate them with the changes of growing up.  Original Hamster Dance represents the kind of pure, mindless joy that I like to associate with childhood, even though childhood does not often actually embody that spirit.  New Hamster Dance, with its vulgar, second-rate slickness and crass commercialism represents what part of me believes to be the inevitable qualities of adulthood.  While I was thinking about this on Wednesday, I was reminded of one of my favorite stories from one of my favorite books, Winnie-the-Pooh. (SPOILER ALERT: if you haven't read Winnie-the-Pooh—the original books with the classic illustrations by E. H. Shepard—then you have been sorely depriving yourself of great happiness).

The chapter I am referring to is entitled: "VI. In Which Eeyore Has a Birthday and Gets Two Presents."  In case you hadn't made the connection before, I title my blog posts in the same manner as A. A. Milne titles his chapters on purpose.

Anyway, Eeyore is standing by the side of a stream looking at his reflection, and generally feeling negative about himself.

"'Pathetic,' he said.  'That's what it is.  Pathetic.'

"He turned and walked slowly down the stream for twenty yards, splashed across it, and walked slowly back on the other side.  Then he looked at himself in the water again.

"'As I thought,' he said.  'No better from this side.  But nobody minds.  Nobody cares.  Pathetic, that's what it is.'"

It has long been my opinion that people who really love Eeyore are the sort of people who have only ever seen the Disney movie and just don't think about it that much.  Eeyore is self-centered, sarcastic, depressive, and takes great pleasure in bringing everybody else down with him.  I identify with him strongly, but that's just the reason I don't like him.

Well, to try and make this not drag out too, too long: Pooh and Piglet stop by and discover that it's Eeyore's birthday and nobody has remembered or bothered to get him anything.  Pooh and Piglet each rush home to get him a gift.  Pooh settles on a honey pot, and Piglet settles on a big red balloon.  But while Pooh is taking the gift to Eeyore, his gluttony and naïve selfishness take over, and he ends up eating all the honey.  He decides to take it to Owl, so that Owl can write "A Happy Birthday" on it.  Owl, being a blowhard with very little actual education, writes, "HIPY PAPY BTHUTHDTH THUTHDA BTHUTHDY," which he claims reads, "A Very Happy Birthday with love from Pooh."

Piglet meanwhile, in his generally nervous, excitable state, has been running to Eeyore to deliver his present, and ends up tripping and popping the balloon.  He arrives at Eeyore's and abashedly gives Eeyore his popped present.  Eeyore, being an ASSHOLE, makes Piglet feel terrible, and guilt trips him, when Pooh Bear shows up with his empty honey pot with the message written on it.  Instead of continuing to be disappointed with his gifts, Eeyore instead gets suddenly excited.  "'Why!' he said.  'I believe my Balloon will just go into that Pot!'"  And, of course, the Balloon wouldn't have fit if it hadn't been popped in the first place.

It's a very nice, happy ending, and I love the message of it more than anything in the world.  The value of the gifts has nothing to do with their monetary expense, or flashiness, but with the simple joy of having things fit properly, and the pleasure of your friends caring for you.  I also think there's a greater message in the story.  Eeyore and Pooh and Piglet and Owl all have flaws.  Eeyore is a curmudgeon, Pooh is gluttonous, Piglet is anxiety-riddled, and Owl is a blowhard.  None of these flaws are ever corrected throughout the story, but the great love and care for one another that each character also possesses end up transcending their flaws.

This is the value set of Winnie-the-Pooh, and it is a value set that I have often associated exclusively with childhood, and one that must needs disappear when growing up.  After all, at the end of House at Pooh Corner, Christopher Robin leaves the Hundred Acre Wood to go to school.  But I think that maybe I've been viewing that the wrong way.  Maybe Christopher Robin does leave to go to school, but maybe he also takes the Hundred Acre Wood with him in his heart, wherever he goes.  Maybe there's room to grow up and shift your priorities slightly, but maintain a joyous and heartfelt set of values that guide you in the adult world.  That is what I would like to try for, at least.