When I was in sixth grade, I desperately wanted a turtle. I begged my parents for months. I did all types of research. I was obsessed. Eventually, my parents gave in.
We went to a small local pet store to look at turtles. The man in the pet store admittedly did not know anything about turtles, but I did. I picked out a small red eared slider. He was about the size of the palm of my hand. I named him Neptune and we were inseparable.
Today, Neptune is about the size of my head. I couldn’t bring him to college with me, but my parents still take care of him at home.
Unfortunately, he has been very sick lately. My parents have had to take him to the vet twice in the last month. I’ve been worried about him in the way that all kids at college worry about their childhood pets. He’s both a member of the family and a symbol of my childhood.
At Studio Thursday at the Johnson, I got to relive my youth and commemorate my childhood pet at the same time.
We were led into the studio and given a big block of clay to work with. The clay was gray and quickly covered our hands. I relived the child-like excitement of getting dirty. Then, as I played with the clay, my mind wandered to Neptune. Suddenly, I was inspired.
I recreated my tiny new turtle, just like I remembered him from sixth grade. I’m still worried about Neptune’s recovery, but for a moment, I felt a little better.
Kay, thank you for sharing this wonderful and personal memory. It makes me happy to read that you were able to find inspiration and an outlet to express your feelings. I never had a pet turtle, myself, but they are my favorite animal. I can relate to your sense of worry about someone you feel is being a big part of your family. I am sure that being at a distance makes the situation difficult, as well. Stay strong! I do send my well wishes and hope that Neptune recovers soon!