I May Have Mentioned This Before...

...but I can't remember. I think I have. But that's just too bad, you'll have to hear it again. Cecily was talking about only children and imaginary friends, which reminded me of this. Because my sister and I are so far apart in age, we're sort of like BOTH only children, in a way. And I was the only child, grandchild AND great-grandchild on both sides for 14 years. So I don't have a problem being the center of attention and I demand lots of fussing over me on my birthdays, is what I am saying. I also think this is one of the reasons I am so good at keeping myself entertained. I am hardly ever actually bored. HowEVER, I was also entertained in my youth by two imaginary friends. Well, not exactly. One was my imaginary younger brother, Miltie. Miltie was a pain in the neck. But not as big a pain in the neck as my imaginary husband, Ben Mountain. Ben Mountain was a total layabout. He was unemployed. He laid on the sofa all day while I did all the work. Bear in mind that I was like four at the time I thought this up. My Dad was not then, nor never has been, a layabout. I have no idea where I came up with this scenario but in retrospect, I have no idea how the adults in my life managed to suppress their giggling about this in my prescence. But I do appreciate that in retrospect.

Ah, Ben Mountain. He WAS charming, as I recall. I wonder what he's up to now...

Comments

[SP]

I'm reading Adam Gopnik's latest, in which his New York-raised little girl develops an imaginary friend who is always too busy to do anything with her--they run into each other on the street, but he's always got to run off to meet someone for drinks or whatnot. So cute, so New York.

[Nicole]

Let a sister know if Ben Mountain has an older brother for me.

[Carrie Ann]

My sister had an imaginary boyfriend named Joey. I had one named Knee.

What's great about kids' imaginary friends is how detailed they are. I remember what Knee "looked" like. Brown hair, bowl cut.

Eventually I just got bored of Knee. He wasn't much of a talker, I guess.

[Kris]

Ben Mountain is such a great imaginary name.

I had an imaginary friend named Pamela who had 3 sisters and 3 brothers and lived in Burbank (no idea where that came from--I grew up in Michigan) and vacationed at Crater Lake in Oregon(I pulled out an atlas once).

[kat]

I used to insist that other people take on the personas of my imaginary friends: Johnny Dan and Skateboard Chuck. I believe Johnny Dan was the straight man. I am reminded of this because "Ben Mountain" sounds like somebody who plays cards with "Skateboard Chuck."

[passerby]

I am crying with laughter over the imaginary boyfriend named "knee" bit (carri ann)...where do we come up with these names?

[Green]

My imaginary friends were basically the gaggle of orphans in the Annie movie. I was me, but in the Annie role. I comforted Molly, didn't let Pepper intimidate people, etc.

Oh and I had an older brother. It's just that well, all my imaginary friends and I danced and did a lot of gymnastics and I knew he wouldn't be into that. I love your Ben Mountain.

[Katie]

hee. My brother and I had an imaginary friend who lived in the backyard Orange Tree. His name was 'Poopsick'. Yeah, I dont know. I think that at 6, 'poop' was a bad word and our poor orange tree dwelling friend was always unable to play due to his various maladies. Hence the 'sick'.

[Nik]

I think four of my friends are married to Ben Mountain.