Giving human personalities or characteristics to inanimate objects is common. Additionally anthropomorphizing often involves naming items that don’t really care if they have a name or not.
Things we spend a good deal of time with, like my stuffed animals, Bear, Monkey, George, and Snowy, deserve respect and kindness. Humans do as well but it can be more difficult.
My friend, Betty, urged her bike, “You can do it Old Yeller”, when tackling hills. Two old boyfriends did the same with Big Pig (a truck) and GRRRrrr (a Holden sedan.)
Recently I bought a truck. Its color is described as Eruption Green, which is sort of odd. I’m stumped at the reference. Peter said it’s actually a British Racing Green. That sounds better, and when describing it, people know what I’m talking about.
The salesman asked “What are you going to name your truck… Kermit?” What an odd suggestion. Everyone knows that Kermit the Frog’s hue is like the inside of a kiwi.
“I don’t name my vehicles.” I almost sniffed.
I was acting a little haughty but I get that way in car dealerships. It’s a “DON’T MESS WITH ME” persona.
”Yeah, yeah, yeah, sign here lady”, the man eventually says.
Empathy, like anthropomorphism, requires thinking beyond ourselves. It’s being considerate and caring whether or not the item or person is breathing, purring, wagging, acting, trading, or snuggling exactly the way we want them to.
It can be hard when we are unsure, trepidatious, fearful, nervous or apprehensive. It takes practice.
I’m going to continue working on it in my Blazing Emerald Curly Kale colored truck, named Car. Ideally I won’t be so disdainful the next time I visit a dealership.
Alexandra Langstaff 