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So earlier today I was procrastinating on Facebook, and I was using the Ten Second Interview application, and the question was, "What is/was your imaginary friend's name?" This was my answer (emphasis added): "I don't actually remember (I want to say Vicky?), but I do know that we didn't get along, so I'm not entirely sure we could be considered friends anyway. There was also the community of inch-tall people that lived behind the toilet in the downstairs guest bathroom, but none of those people had names."
Suddenly, I realised what a bizarre child I was. I didn't have an imaginary friend. I had an imaginary enemy.
What sort of child has an imaginary enemy? The saddest thing is, it wasn't like I was lacking real life enemies. But apparently those people weren't enough. I needed an imaginary enemy too.
Also, bathroom buddies? What on earth? Looking back, I'm surprised I made it this far as well adjusted as I am. See, that wasn't the only weird thing about me as a kid, as demonstrated by my answer to the other TSI question I answered today (again, emphasis added).
Q: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A: Well, I didn't realize until I was seven that kids actually grew up -- I always thought that was just a question adults asked to make conversation -- so I never thought very seriously on the subject.
This actually may be normal, I don't know, but it is true. I distinctly remember the first time my mom told me a story from her childhood and being utterly shocked. I thought there were two kinds of people in world -- adults and kids -- and that the adults had always been adults and the kids always stayed kids. I don't really know what I thought the whole birthday and age things were about (actually, I also remember when I discovered that it was called a birthday because it was the day of your birth; I assumed it was just a random date they chose to give you presents, so ... I guess that answers that).
I also believed until I was four that my life was a reality TV show (kind of like The Truman Show, only I was four a few years before that movie was made). When I was four I realised that life didn't make sense, and until I was eight I often contemplated the mysteries of life, the universe, and everything when I was supposed to be doing school (which is ironic now, given my aversion to philosophy). I always assumed this was normal, but ... I also had an imaginary enemy.
Suddenly, I realised what a bizarre child I was. I didn't have an imaginary friend. I had an imaginary enemy.
What sort of child has an imaginary enemy? The saddest thing is, it wasn't like I was lacking real life enemies. But apparently those people weren't enough. I needed an imaginary enemy too.
Also, bathroom buddies? What on earth? Looking back, I'm surprised I made it this far as well adjusted as I am. See, that wasn't the only weird thing about me as a kid, as demonstrated by my answer to the other TSI question I answered today (again, emphasis added).
Q: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A: Well, I didn't realize until I was seven that kids actually grew up -- I always thought that was just a question adults asked to make conversation -- so I never thought very seriously on the subject.
This actually may be normal, I don't know, but it is true. I distinctly remember the first time my mom told me a story from her childhood and being utterly shocked. I thought there were two kinds of people in world -- adults and kids -- and that the adults had always been adults and the kids always stayed kids. I don't really know what I thought the whole birthday and age things were about (actually, I also remember when I discovered that it was called a birthday because it was the day of your birth; I assumed it was just a random date they chose to give you presents, so ... I guess that answers that).
I also believed until I was four that my life was a reality TV show (kind of like The Truman Show, only I was four a few years before that movie was made). When I was four I realised that life didn't make sense, and until I was eight I often contemplated the mysteries of life, the universe, and everything when I was supposed to be doing school (which is ironic now, given my aversion to philosophy). I always assumed this was normal, but ... I also had an imaginary enemy.