Beanie Babies

As I was making the commute from Murray to Provo yesterday, I got stuck behind a red Ford Expedition going 70 mph in the fast lane. At first I wanted to be frustrated because, come on, the fast lane is for people who go FAST. Hello! Alas, I eventually gave up being frustrated with them, deciding to read their many bumper stickers while I waited for them to speed up or switch lanes.

One particular sticker said, "I'm a Goof!" with a picture of goofy underneath. I didn't believe that statement 'til I finally got the opportunity to pass them. I looked inside the car, curious as to what the driver's excuse for holding up the fast lane would be (old, oblivous, texting, etc.), and that's when I saw it: hundreds of Beanie Babies stacked on the dashboard. I burst out laughing. Beanie babies! Whaaa? The last time I even thought about a beanie baby was in 6th grade--and not even because I had one then, but because I was babysitting someone who had one. So what in the world was this middle-aged Idahoan woman doing with so many Beanie Babies on her dashboard? And why the dashboard? Why not a nice shelf inside the house, since she obviously wants them on display?

Anyway. I loved that moment because it reminded me of two things: 1, that sometimes instead of being frustrated, we just need to laugh. I mean, no wonder this lady was distracted into going 70 mph in the fast lane. I would be distracted too if I had hundreds of collectible stuffed toys stacked on my dashboard. 2, I learned that being different is GOOD. It's refreshing! Even though I wouldn't want to be caught dead with children's toys on my dashboard, I'm glad that she did. Whoever she was, whatever her life is like, I'm glad she wasn't afraid to live it exactly how she wanted to. I think we could all learn a good lesson from this Ford-Expedition-driving/Beanie-Baby-collecting Idahoan woman: don't be afraid to be yourself. Who knows, you might end up making someone else's day.