Not quite a native Ripley Countian - she attended only her last year of high school in Doniphan though she taught in the R-1 system for 32 years - Teresa (Pearson) Lee delights in surprising readers and herself with anecdotal observations of life in general. Maybe you can blame her St.Louis roots for a quirky humor and some slightly-askewed opinions, but never doubt she writes from the heart.

Teddy Bear Substitutes

Posted Tuesday, October 8, 2019, at 10:12 PM

IF I were to lug a teddy around with me on a 'work' day, it would be this cutie.

October 9th's the day to take your teddy bear to work and a sure way to draw smirks from colleagues. No one wonders at all about a child's toys and blankets that soothe and calm. We adults, though, need such items perhaps more than the kiddos do in this curious, chaotic, confounding world flashing by at the click of an icon! With maturity comes wisdom; we know how to camouflage our 'security blankies' to ward off comrades' jeers. These undercover teddy bears are acceptable in the grown-up world.

Purses ease anxiety caused by the fear of not having what is needed WHEN it's needed. All kinds of stuff can settle to the bottom of a shoulder bag or hide in the innumerable pockets to work magic in a perilous moment: paper towel squares, scotch tape, three-pronged adapter, roll of dimes, butter knife, tape measure, railroad spike. (Yes, that served a purpose once upon a time).

Trucks fit the same bill stated above for a segment of the population. Imagine what can be stored under mats, stuffed behind seats, tossed to line the truck bed, secured under a tool box or handily shelved on the dash and above the visors. You know, stuff needed in the event of a zombie apocalypse with no one around who has a purse. (I may need to rethink my vehicle choice. I could be prepared for so much more).

Cell phones, too, are acceptable adult teddy bear substitutes. After all, this crutch allows for quick access to time-saving and space-saving info that is certainly debate-winning if not life-saving. Because of them, some don't feel the need now to lug around address books, notepads, maps and encyclopedias in purses and trucks, allowing more space for must-have gadgets and what-nots. Unless one is skeptical of phone infallibility, that is. I never go out without paper, pen and spares, a 'real' calendar and a book or two, just in case.

On this day (second Wednesday each October) created by Susan Schwartz, author of Teddy Bear Philisoohy: Things My Teddy Bear Taught Me About Life, Love and the Pursuit of Happiness, show a bit of extra appreciation for yours. Toss some air freshener into the purse and truck, and treat that cellphone to a Clorox wipe swipe. They show us the love. Least we can do is return it.