Today I realized something. I love to color. Actually, I have always loved to color. I love a brand-new coloring book—not one of those very intricate difficult ones, or ones that waste pages with silly puzzles. Just about any kind of coloring book will do.
I love a new box of crayons. My favorite is the 64 with the sharpener in the back, but I’ll be satisfied with a box of 48. I love seeing them all standing upright, waiting for their turn on the page. Only Crayola, none of those other brands. Oh, and you never use the actual sharpener. You rotate your crayon as you’re coloring the bigger spaces to keep it a bit pointy. I don’t like to share my crayons because other people might break them or color them flat or (gasp!) peel down the paper.
I actually have a touch of the OCD when it comes to coloring. Given my way, I never take out the crayons and put them in a different box. If a crayon breaks, I have an irresistible urge to chuck the whole box. Which is why I don’t use the sharpener or (gasp) peel the paper. If a coloring page has been marked on, I don’t want to use it. If someone has scribble-scrabbled on a page, I have an irresistible urge to chuck the whole book. I remember being very proud of being able to color a whole coloring book all by myself.
But today I realized that coloring is very therapeutic. I have been very stressed about starting this new job and today I was coloring my poster along with my student and as I colored I felt so much stress just melt away—even though I was using broken colored pencils. I felt this silly satisfaction when I finished. I felt relaxed.
With this new-found insight, I suspect I’ll carry on. I’ll be an old woman, hoarding crayons, just in case, snapping at anyone who comes near the crayon closet. I’ll carry a bag of coloring books around with me and display my work around the house. I’ll keep all the coloring books I’ve done, and perhaps make a note as to where and when I colored them. My children will roll their eyes and sigh when I refuse to share my good crayons and coloring books with my grandkids and wonder if there isn't maybe something wrong with me.
But I’ll be at peace.
6 comments:
You NEVER peel the paper!! and you NEVER sharpen them!! I love back to school time, you can get them really cheap!! I buy boxes of them!! I love the smell too!
And when you color, sometimes I just like to "outline" things!
I totally agree with you on all the points.
If someone should "gasp" not finish a page, or "LOUDER GASP" color outside the lines!!! well.. the whole book is wasted. How can you color in a book that has mish mash on it??
It's really hard when you have little ones that just don't get the whole coloring thing.. and they take the crayons out of the box to put into another shoebox type thing!! THE HORROR!!
And what do you do with all those broken ones?? OH besides let others use those and not the brand new ones that are "perfect"!
I am so with ya on this one!!
This is from a friend via email...
In it he (Randy Pausch from The Last Lecture) writes,"...At my last lecture, I had brought along several hundred of them. I wanted everyone to get one when they walked into the lecture hall, but in the confusion, I forgot to have the folks at the door pass them out. Too bad. My plan was this: As I spoke about childhood dreams, I'd ask everyone to close their eyes and rub their crayons in their fingers---to feel the texture, the paper, the wax. Then I'd have them bring their crayons up to their noses and take a good whiff. Smelling a crayon takes you right back to childhood, doesn't it?
I once saw a colleague do a similar crayon routine with a group of people, and it had inspired me. In fact, since then, I've often carried a crayon in my shirt pocket. When I need to go back in time, I put it under my nose and I take another hit."
After reading the book, I took one of my grandson's crayons (I'd just bought him (2 1/2 yrs old) a new box, and sure enough, the feel and the smell brought back a flood of memories. It works!
Wow I'm not alone. When I was little I used to take the "stubbies" and melt them down. I would try to make multi-colored crayons. Or I would ask for a bottle, put a candle in it, light it, and then melt crayons so they dripped down the sides. I thought it was very elegant.
I so get this. Now I'll have to buy a new box today because I can't always find one of the hidden ones!
You can still get a good deal on crayons right now.. since school supplies are still out.. School starts on Tuesday here.. so we still have tons out there.. But.. I have a few hidden boxes here.. just in case I need to color!! Which, so you know.. I thought about this weekend.. and about buying a new coloring book too!!
And I thought I was the only one who felt that way about crayons and coloring! I buy scads of boxes of crayons this time of year. I hate coloring with Bella, though I pretend to like it. I'm much happier with my own page.
Must be that we were twins separated at birth.
I love this post.
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