Strange Storage Stories, Episode #1
I had no idea today would take the turn it has taken.
We knew when we took the job managing the storage facility there would probably be some good stories… and there have been a few, but not really much to write about.
Today we kept my niece, A-Baby. (My sister’s pregnant with another little one, when she arrives she’ll be B-Baby. But for now we just have A-Baby.)
She showed up with a toy my mom had given to her.
A Chuckie doll.
Yes, that Chuckie. The one from Child’s Play that scared the poop out of the youth of my generation.
I’m pretty sure I have a deep-seated hatred of all dolls because of that movie. Dolls and Play Dough. Evil, I tell you!
I have no idea why my mom gave the Chuckie doll to her two-year-old granddaughter. I know Chuckie was second-hand and cleaned up because my mom is a bit of a stuffed animal savior. She gathers toys of ill-repute and cleans them up to give them a second chance at love.
What a saint. Except… Chuckie?
This Chuckie doll is fabric, except for the plastic face, brilliant, creepy blue eyes bulging, freckles outstanding and mouth open in a bared-teeth snarl.
Creepy. Creepy. Creepy.
A-Baby loves this doll.
My sister told her Chuckie was showing off his teeth for a dentist’s appointment.
Crazy.
Our day progressed normally from there, if you consider my niece wetting the bed on top of Lizard’s pillow and the normal angst experienced when you find all of the children playing in mud puddles.
The clock ticked on to this afternoon, when I worked with some customers who have been chronically behind on their rent payments.
This customer told me she was going to pay up so her sister could get her things out of their storage unit.
This is normal, good for them. I don’t really care why they pay, I’m just glad to have a current account!
Then I met the sister… who gave me the entire story of their family, including the tidbit she needed to get into the storage unit because it had all her Halloween things in it because she was pagan and she celebrated Halloween.
Her sister, the actual customer, is one of the super-conservative, bun-wearing, denim-sporting fundamental Christians. So I thought that was a comment in reference to her sister not approving of Halloween.
So I chuckled an obligatory chuckle to let her know I understood her little joke.
And then looked at her face and realized she meant it.
She’s celebrating Halloween because she’s a pagan.
I’ve never had an experience like this before. And I’m insanely curious to know what she uses to celebrate Halloween that can also be stored in a storage unit up next to her super-fundamentalist sister’s Bible and religious paraphernalia.
So today has been full of Chuckie and pagans.
That’s all.
Can I start over?
Were you one of the many disturbed by Child’s Play? Have you ever met a practicing pagan? Does the knowledge of practicing pagans – right now – influence your own decision to celebrate Halloween? Just curious…
I am aware of who “Chuckie” is but I’ve never seen any “Child Play” movies or other horror movies. I’m not into that. I am aware of pagans but have never met anyone who follows this “religion.” My sister believed in Wicca for several years but never talked about it or participated in any type of ceremonies.
I remember one time when I was being watched at a daycare center She had us watch “Childs Play”. I had nightmares that night, told my mom, and needless to say we did not return to that daycare center the next day.
I’ve also had plenty of friends who consider themselves Wiccan or some other form of Paganism. I’m not sure what they do or how they celebrate Halloween though… It doesn’t really influence how I celebrate Halloween.
Oh my! I cannot even imagine showing that movie in a daycare! Wow!!