PANDAmonium

I brought two stuffed panda bears to school for two reasons. One is that I cannot sleep without holding something in my arms, I guess this stems from always having a stuffed animal to sleep with throughout my entire life, and two because they do remind me of home. I have many more-- at least 5-- stuffed pandas at home. This accumulation began when I told people that pandas were my favorite animal many years ago. Actually, I do not remember when I decided that pandas were my favorite animal, but I do know that now I have a lot of panda paraphernalia, from tee shirts to most notably the stuffed animals that I brought to college. Therefore, these pandas remind me of home because pandas have long been a part of my life, and they are just very comfy to sleep next to. I think that my stuffed pandas portray to others that I am still a bit childish and very silly. When one looks at these pandas, one cannot help but smile because they are just funny- looking, and they are abnormally shaped creatures. Therefore, these pandas should convey to others that I do not take some things too seriously, and that I am able to laugh and be immature when the occasion arises.
On the other hand, when I asked the boys down the hall from Explorations what identity these pandas perform, they stated such things as "creature comfort... needed for security... a reminder of childhood." This is partly correct, but I did not see the pandas as a symbol for weakness and insecurity. It makes sense now, though. I mean if I need a panda to sleep with at night, then I obviously need a sense of security, but that word did not pop into my head until after I showed my pandas to other people. Someone also stated that the pandas showed that I like "Asian wildlife." I did not agree with this because I do not think I could name that many creatures from Asian besides the obvious, a panda. So this blog was insightful. I learned that even though I believed the pandas remind me of my past and my childhood, others do not know that I have had such a liking to pandas for such a long period of time. Others view the pandas as a symbol for comfort since I am away from home, even though when I am at home I still have the need to sleep with these black and white stuffed bears, too.