grown-ups

I used to believe…

When I was younger I wanted to be a bunny rabbit even though my sister told me that was impossible.

I have always loved animals. As all small children do, I only knew about one kind of love, like the way you love your mother. I really didn't understand the attraction part and that your spouse is a different kind of love then your parents. So, naturally, I wanted to marry my dog. He was a boy, after all. I convinced my best friend to marry him, too, so we could be realated!

I used to believe…

In 3rd grade we started learning about immigrants so naturally I was curious and asked my dad where we came from. He told me that my great-grandparents were royalty and came to America when their small country rebelled so they wouldn't be beheaded. I went around for a year after this telling everyone I was a princess and when I grew up I would go back to this country and claim the throne.

I used to believe…

When I was about 4, I saw a TV show that went behind the scenes of the musical CATS. I was fascinated by the actors putting on their makeup and wigs; unfortunately, it never showed them taking these things off. This caused me to believe for a few months that they were being permanently changed into creepy cat people, destined to do nothing but perform in CATS for the rest of their lives.

I used to believe…

When I was little around 5 (im adopted and have know since I can remember) I was always told I could ask what ever I wanted (about my adoption or really anything),and my mom would always give me a truthful answer...So after running out of 5 year old like questions (hard for a kid to do) I just liked for my mom to tell me stories about bringing me home and what not..In one story I remember her telling me that my dad made my bottle for me while she rocked me...I was plagued and amazed that my dad could actually make a bottle...I imagined him with a big sheet of plastic somehow bending and forming it to make a bottle.I was about 10 when I realized what he was actually doing in the story...fixing my formula!I was crushed!

I used to believe…

When I was little my father was obviously taller than me. Therefore, when he wanted to talk to me face to face he would squat down. I thought this was a game, though, and I would squat too. It took years for me to realize my dad was just trying to talk to me with no intentions of a game.

I used to believe…

When I was younger my dad used to phone my mum everyday while on his tea break....this made me want a job that didn't have tea breaks as I don't like the taste of tea.

I used to believe…

When I was little, I had two close black friends whose adoptive parents were a white lesbian couple. I also had two black cousins that my white aunt and uncle adopted. So when I was 5 or 6, I didn't know any black kids who lived with their birth parents. One day my parents were watching a movie and I walked in during a scene where a black woman was crying and saying "They're going to take my baby away from me". So, using what was apparently good logic at the time, I assumed that the U.S. government forced black people to give up their babies to white people. I finally got corrected when we were learning about Martin Luther King in 2nd grade and I raised my hand and asked why no one protested the law about blacks not being allowed to have babies. She gave me a pretty strange look for a while, there.

I used to believe that when I was older, What I wanted to be was a big sister. Seeing as my mum has had an operation to prevent that, my dream was shattered. lol. It was a huge shock to find out you cant grow up to BE a sister.

I used to believe…

When I was little my brother told me that I was actually a gypsy, and he'd call them so they'd take me back. He even told me my gypsy name: Rebecca Goldstein. I believe him until I was 8.

I used to believe…

As a kid and only child, my parents would travel and take me with them. But I wouldn't necessarily like the look of the food in the countries visited. So my parents told me my Oma (grandmother) had sent chicken soup. As there was always some chicken-base soup on the menu, I was served that and genuinely believed my Oma sent it to me by plane wherever I went.

I used to think those guys in red tunics at the Tower of London fed bees, because they were called Bee-Feeders. Those bees would then, of course, make the honey for the queen's morning toast.

I used to believe people only got old if they were lazy.

I was convinced that anyone belonging to the Masonry had to be a stone mason who built houses and brick walls. It did seem odd that they should be considered so important, but I reasoned that out thinking how important building walls and houses was.

I used to believe…

My brother who is seven years younger than I believed that one day he would be older than I. It was a fun rib while it lasted.

I used to believe…

When my mom was pregnant with my little sister I thought that if she was a boy than I would have to become a boy too. I prayed for a little sister.