Invisible Colin or "Has Halloween come early?"

(Those of you who are my FaceBook Friends, you must have been expecting this post.)

So, last night, it was revealed to me that, apparently, someone called 

 Invisible Colin 

lives with us too.

The conversation was brief.

This was on account of reduced stamina, due to:

a) trying NOT to have the screaming ab-dabs

b) maintaining a heart-rate somewhere below 280 bpm &

c)  trying to relax my constricted throat, affording me a voice option other than 'strangled squeak', whilst attempting to 'discuss' Invisible Colin.

Things we quickly established were that:
*  Invisible Colin is, in fact, a girl (obviously)
*  Invisible Colin, by happy coincidence likes all the same food as us.  Primarily the "healthy foods" with ice-cream and chocolates thrown in.
*  Invisible Colin, looks like me but "without all those spots" (I hate Colin a little right now.  Freckle-free cow)

And finally,
*  Invisible Colin enjoys a game of rugby.

Right.

Now.

THIS is where I should have left it.

Shouldn't have asked.

Should.

Not.

Have.

Asked.

"Where does Invisible Colin sleep?", I asked.

Why did I ask?

WHY???

Solemnly, The Kid pointed to the ceiling.  Deadpan face "Up there."

"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa ........?", said Mummy.

Daddy, behind The Kid, was silently chortling & pointing at my face.



The thing is, for years now, my love-hate (I LOVE watching them, but then, they scared the bejesus out of me & I HATE that) relationship with spooky movies and supernatural ghost-hunter reality TV shows have generated issues.

I have examples:
I won't stay in 'old' places.
If I do, I must be accompanied at all times.

This isn't either of those holiday places.
If I turned up somewhere like this, I wouldn't even get out of the car

I didn't sleep for 5 days during a particularly spooky family 'holiday' to a cottage in Pembrokeshire, Wales, which, as it transpired my Mother-in-Law ALSO felt exceedingly uncomfortable in.  So I feel justified.



We talk of it still.

Trousers and Trousers Senior roll their eyes. Still.


During another such trip, to an old Rectory in a spectacularly beautifully part of Wales, the rest of the family found a gravestone in the garden.

THE GARDEN, people!!!!

Together, all agreed that it was best, for all concerned, to withhold this information from me.

They were probably right.

We don't go on those kind of holidays anymore.

*********************************************************************************

All joking aside, I am not unduly concerned re this (hopefully) Imaginary Friend.

Research is showing that actually the appearance of an (please God) IMAGINARY Friend is actually a very positive thing.

What Would Your Imaginary Friend Say About You?







What Wiki has to say about Invisible Colin

It has been theorized that children with imaginary companions may develop language skills and retain knowledge faster than children without them, which may be because these children get more linguistic practice than their peers as a result of carrying out "conversations" with their imaginary friends.^[5]

Kutner (n.d.) reported that 65% of seven year old children report they have had an imaginary companion at some point in their lives. He further reported:

Imaginary companions are an integral part of many children's lives. They provide comfort in times of stress, companionship when they're lonely, someone to boss around when they feel powerless, and someone to blame for the broken lamp in the living room. Most important, an imaginary companion is a tool young children use to help them make sense of the adult world.^[6]

Taylor, Carlson & Gerow (c2001: p. 190) hold that:

despite some results suggesting that children with imaginary companions might be superior in intelligence, it is not true that all intelligent children create them.^[7]

Some psychologists^[who?] have suggested that older children retain but stop speaking about imaginary friends due to adult expectations and peer pressure^{[citation needed]}.

Pediatrician Benjamin Spock believed that imaginary friends past age four indicated that something was "lacking" in the child or his environment. Some child development professionals believe that the presence of imaginary friends past early childhood signals a serious psychiatric disorder.^[8][9] Some have theorized that children who hold on to imaginary friends past school-age are stigmatized^{[citation needed]}.

Other professionals feel that imaginary friends are common among school-age children and are part of normal social-cognitive development.^[10]

Marjorie Taylor identified middle school children with imaginary friends and followed up six years later as they were completing high school. At follow-up, those who had imaginary friends in middle school displayed better coping strategies but a "low social preference for peers." She suggested that imaginary friends may directly benefit children's resiliency and positive adjustment.^[11]"

And, just to prove 'Like Mummy, Like Son' ......