I won't grow up.

"Meeeeowwwww!"
http://sadcircusbythesea.typepad.com/

A few years ago, I fell in love with the cartoon Invader Zim. This is a cartoon about an alien from the planet Irk who wants to conquer worlds and bring them under Irken rule. Unfortunately, the Irken leaders, the Tallest, exile Zim to the Irken snacking planet of Foodcourtia because Zim behaved like such as ass during the first invasion. Zim "quits being banished" from Foodcourtia and makes a plea to the Tallest that he be given another change. The Tallest readily agree, rewarding Zim with a sandwich, an insane robot and a mission to--well, nowhere. After six months of traveling, during which Zim's robot GIR sings The Doom Song nonstop, he finally lands on Earth and sets up shop. Zim isn't necessarily stupid; he's such an egomaniac that it clouds his usage of common sense when it comes to conquering alien worlds.

The upshot is Zim tries time and again to make Earth an Irken territory and fails each time. This is a great site for Zim info: http://www.thescarymonkeyshow.com/

I became so fanatical about Zim that I launched myself into learning all about the creators and voice casts. This led me to learning about Rikki Simons, who does the voice of GIR the kooky robot, and is, incidentally, my favorite Zim character. Rikki is a talented writer and with his wife Tavisha, they create some of the most ethereal and utterly breathtaking art and prose. They are the authors of ShutterBox books, the two Reality Check! books, and the much anticipated Ranklechick and His Three-Legged Cat. I had the privilege of meeting these two remarkable humans at Katsucon 2005 (a comic convention.) Hopefully, they will return for 2006. Check out Rikki's blog, the link which I posted at the beginning of this entry.
I think if we go back to Katsucon next year, my children and I will actually participate in cosplay; in other words, constructing a costume of your favorite comics character and parading about with all the other cosplayers. Dylan wants to make a GIR costume. Tara wants to be Gaz. I, of course, will be Tak. That is, if we go. I would very much like to.

It's media like this that keep me young and from biting the big one. I can release my inner child (who had been badly damaged) and cavort about with my children. We sing and dance and very often we will talk in nothing but show-and-movie dialogue, the most recent brouhaha being Napoleon Dynamite. Gosh! I tend to not watch the news and read the paper because it does me no good. I am an adult and as long as I pay the bills, give my children healthy meals and enrichment, I can act as goofy as I please, and I daresay my children will benefit far more from a mother who can laugh and play with them as long as they recognize what is wrong in the world, and what they can do to change it.

Thank you, God, for giving me another chance to be a kid with my kids, whom I thank You for every day.