Monday, November 22, 2010

When my oldest daughter was a little girl...

...she would get really emotional if she would see an animal that had been hit by a car laying beside the road.

For many, many years I would tell her, "Oh that wasn't an animal...that was just a crumbled up paper towel."


And that worked pretty well for a long time, but then she got older and caught on that crumbled up paper towels didn't really look like dead animals, and I had to discontinue the practice and deal with the hours of crying that would follow a 'viewing.'

So...

The other day I was on a busy freeway and suddenly I encounted dozens of rolls of paper towels smashed in the road. I saw a truck ahead of me that looked like the bed was filled to the brim with a two hour shopping spree at Costco, so I figured an especially bounteous warehouse-size package must have fallen off the back of the truck.


I really, really wanted to take a picture, to prove to my daughter that sometimes some of those animals might have been actually paper towels, but there was too much traffic.

After I got on a less busy road, I called my daughter and told her, "You would not believe how many squashed up rolls of paper towels I saw on the freeway. There had to be at least 30!"

And she let out a little gasp. "Mom," she said in a very alarmed voice, "What happened? Who hit them all?"

I explained that they fell off the back of a truck and she let out a big sigh of relief. "For a minute there, Mom, I thought you meant there was a whole bunch of squished squirrels or chipmunks and I wondered how they had all gotten there."

...

...

Now aren't you glad you stopped by today?

Seriously.

This has to be one of the most highly intellectual posts I've ever written.

...

Huh?

...

Oh, of course, you're welcome! You don't have to thank me so effusively. No problem, whatsoever.

Nothing defines my blog more then 'Off on my Tangent!"

Sigh...

post signature

42 comments:

Paula ~ castleandcottagesigns said...

Jenny, your 'tangents' never fail to make my morning:)

Nellie's Cozy Place said...

Hi Jenny,
I think it made for a pretty cute story. It is so neat the things like that.....that trigger remembrances of those we love, and they are like a private joke between us, and we just have to share it with them!! Crumpled paper towel, now that is a new one on me!! lol
We had a friend that was telling us something about a dog sleeping to close to the road, and being the dense person I am, hubby had to explain it to me!! He of course, was talking about a dog that got hit by a car. He said it that way because of his kids too.
Hope you have a nice Monday dear,
and glad it was really crumpled paper towel this time!! lol
Blessings, Nellie

Unknown said...

Oh Jenny...

I ADORE your stories and vignettes! I find it amazing how you are able to tie together seemingly random events to those bits and pieces of your everyday life.

Terra said...

I thought that was a great story! I would have been shocked to see all the real paper towels on the road and immediately called too!

One Photo said...

I love your remembrances too - how nice your daughter also remembers you telling her those squished animals were really paper towels.

Kat said...

This was too cute Jenny. I'm the same way when I see a dead animal on the road, it just breaks my heart. I'd love to see some squished paper towels for a change! Although the other day I saw what looked like a weeks worth of laundry strewn all over the highway for about a mile. Have no idea what that was all about! Kat

Unknown said...

Your story is too cute. You sound like who I will become when my daughter is old enough to do the same thing. You are my role model :)

Jeanie said...

Very cool that you both remembered and could share the memory.

The Quintessential Magpie said...

What a scream! Loved it! LOL!

XO,

Sheila :-)

Jocelyn said...

Oh you made my day with this one...I can so relate and I still get upset when I see a creature has been hit...I will have to keep the paper towel idea for the boys!!!

You are tooooo funny!!!! Smiles to you today sweet friend!!

Pat Tillett said...

What a great story! This is the kind of thing that will be passed down in your family for generations.

MisAdventuresofMomof3 said...

That is too funny! We used to tell our that they were sleeping...it also stopped working.

Cheryl said...

I know JUST where they were too. Nothing good ever happens on your highways. Your daughter was right to be skeptical. I thought you were talking about squirrels too.

Auntie sezzzzzz... said...

-chuckle- Well, your post today, beats mine, for "interesting-ness." But after all, it is Monday!

Fun here, as usual.

Anonymous said...

That was great! Thanks for the Monday morning smile. :)

Ames said...

I'm one of those sensitives too! To this very day I have to look the other way if I appraoch something that looks remotely like a dead animal on the road. It's like I feel their loneliness. I have been known to pull over, get a shovel out and bury the poor critter along side the road. Of course I live out where there's not a lot of cars whizzing by me too. You were just trying to spare your girl some grief from the ugly reality of the cycle of life.
Is it Monday already? :)~Ames

Mid-Atlantic Martha said...

Too funny! Now I do have to say that I relate to the sensitive daughter though -- it always makes me sad to see animals by the side of the road. This is the time for lots and lots of deer.

Bossy Betty said...

I smiled about this! Who knows what will come of the things we tell our kids? Perhaps the managers of Target really will get us if we play with all the toys there!

Unknown said...

Jenny,
LOL....You were a good sister! I just wanted to stop by and tell you thank you for the card and the tea! Knowing you are my friend is a blessing now more than ever kiddo! Thank you and Have a wonderful Happy Thanksgiving! Love, Sandy

MrsJenB said...

Oh Jenny...I've missed your stories! Sometimes I do need to do a double take when I see things in the road - oftentimes they ARE just a piece of garbage or something. Other times I avert my eyes because I really don't want to know...!

Splendid Little Stars said...

Oh, those poor, poor paper towels!

Cheryl D. said...

Too bad you didn't get any pictures.

I'm talking about the road kill, not the paper towels!

Anonymous said...

Oh, the little things we do to our children! That is just too funny.

Teresa

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

Children are so sensitive!
When my kids were young my son and daughter would get upset at seeing homeless people begging for money. They wanted me to invite them home to live with us.

Jo said...

cute story ... and thankfully they were just rolls ... i brake for beasties no matter how small ... and still cant bear to see them squished ...

Diane said...

I can so relate to your daughter because I have always been the same way. I will see something ahead in the road and I start getting so upset and sick feeling for fear that it is a dead animal and I am so relieved when I see that it's only a bag (or a crumpled of paper towel?) or something!

Susan Anderson said...

This tangent went a really cute direction. (As they usually do!)

Loved it.

=)

Wanda..... said...

I always look forward to your tangents, Jenny...You're the Queen of Tangents and Tales!

Busy Bee Suz said...

I love that story...you are such a funny Mom!!!!

mrs. c said...

i think that we do all sorts of things to protect our little ones. I remember coming home from shopping and our dog was in the road, dead. I went all the way around the block so my younger brother and sister did not have to see it.

Theresa said...

Well JENNY, at least you didn't get out to grab the load of paper towels and got squished! Happy it turned out that you are OK and so are all of God's creatures!

HUGS!

Marlene said...

Oh Miss Jenny - you know I still think you're the funniest lady!!!! :)

Amy said...

Wadded up paper towel? You are too funny. I was always told it was just a rug that fell off the back of a truck. I wondered why so many rugs fell in the fall/winter months instead of the spring/fall months. Parents are interesting with their ploys. And I love that you saw so many paper towels. That is hilarious!

signed...bkm said...

Jenny, May you and your family have a Blessed Thanksgiving...bkm

Judie said...

When I was little I actually believed that 'possums were flat.

H said...

On the way to work, the main kinds of roadkill I see are pheasants (which are beautiful but exceptionally stupid!) and badgers. I suspect that most of the latter wander into the road half dead already because, although they are protected, they carry the TB virus and it is not unknown for farmers to lay illegal poison to protect their herds.

People Who Know Me Would Say: said...

She could be like my sister who drives around with a shovel in the car to move them......

Willoughby said...

Great story! Much sweeter than our tradition of yelling out "body parts"! when we see trash bags scattered on the side of the highway. You know, because you hear about police finding murder victims body parts in plastic trash bags?!

I used to wonder what happened to the dead animals you see while driving. They would be there one day, gone the next. Did they pay someone to come and pick them up? Turns out they do. I got stuck behind the roadkill truck once. I could give you more details, but it might ruin your day!

Chatty Crone said...

That was funny - glad it was just paper towels too!

Sandie♥ HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Anita said...

It's always fun to read and feel touched, and then get hit with a good punch line. That was funny! Your daughter must think you're a hoot. :)
Happy Thanksgiving!

Linda @ A La Carte said...

Jenny if only I had thought of the 'crumbled paper towel' ploy then we would not have had so many tears. Yes sensitive children (umm and Mom's) cry over crushed things in the road. Love your tangents!

Abbey said...

Hey, I just wanted to let you know that that is a great experience! You are awesome!