Do you ever talk to your pets or plants as if they could understand you? Name your cars? Blame Gremlins for losing your keys or stealing your socks from the dryer? We humans are odd and whimsical creatures. We imagine all sorts of strange things and it's that wonderful? And there are lots of reasons for it. For one, humans are storytelling creatures. We see faces in clouds, patterns in stars, and personalities in pets and objects. This isn’t just silliness - it’s how our minds are wired. Second, we want to feel less alone. Giving voice to our dog or naming our car "Ruby" (my new car's name) makes the world feel more companionable. Inanimate objects become little friends. It's an act of tenderness - a reminder that we’re part of a living, relational universe, not just a mechanical one. And third, I think that this whimsical ways of using our imagination are part of the way that adults play - a kind of holdover from our childhood that reminds us of those (hopefully) fun loving times.
So what whimsical things do you do? How do you exercise your imagination?
Rev. Sian Wiltshire is Orange Coast Unitarian Universalist Church's minister. Please feel free to reach out and say hello! She can be reached by email, revsian@ocuuc.org, or by church phone at (714) 556-2882 (x302).