When I started at Hallmark Cards in 1992, my first position was in licensed properties. I was the editor for Peanuts and Garfield cards, and later Cathy and Ziggy and Disney and “Saturday Night Live” and pretty much any other licensed character that could sell a humor card.
I even traveled to Disney in California at one point and attended ‘Pooh College’ — as in Winnie the Pooh — and became somewhat of a corporate expert on how Winnie should look and sound to greeting card audiences, whether they be children, young adults, teens or even adult Pooh fans.
Because each Pooh is different. (You can quote me on that.)
Winnie the Pooh is also the World Ambassador of Friendship. The United Nations made an official declaration in 1997.
It’s a piece of trivia that you might find handy, because it’s National Friendship Day. Yep — Congress made that official as well, way back in 1935.
So, here’s my official note of gratitude to my friends — the ones I see every day, the ones I miss every day and the 340 I ‘talk’ to every day on Facebook.
I’m sure Pooh would approve.
Winds day
I had an early appointment downtown this morning. As I made my way from the subway station to the studio, the wind was blowing so hard, I was almost lifted off my feet. I thought…
“What a blustery day.”
I can thank Winnie the Pooh for that.
We all write for different reasons. Some to make a living. Some just hoping to entertain. And then there are the truly gifted who entertain and teach us something about ourselves. And their words live for generations.
A.A. Milne defines that category.
And smile.
Gopher: If I was you, I’d think about skedaddlin’ out of here.
Winnie the Pooh: Why?
Gopher: ‘Cause it’s “Winds-day.”
– Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day
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Posted in Books, Children, Life, Weather, Writing
Tagged A.A. Milne, blown off my feet, blustery day, books, children, children's book, commentary, Gopher, life, Manhattan, studio, subway station, weather, wind, Winds-Day, Winnie the Pooh, Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day, writing