Sue's News

A Character Who Captures Hearts and Minds

May 13th, 2009

I was at the post office today… I’m there about once a week, and usually strike up a conversation with whomever helps me at the window.

Today I was sending a postcard to some friends in PA, among other things. As I was leaving, the clerk remarked on what a lovely card it was. It had Winnie the Pooh and Piglet (the originals) walking hand in hand. A simple and sweet charcoal sketch on a cream background…

I told her about the real 100 Acre Wood the stories are set in, and the real dolls that live in the New York Public Library. I told her of the town nearby (East Grinstead), where I started my tour of the English countryside.

It was not only a welcomed distraction, it was a revelation. Immediately, she asked if there was a book she could read on it. I told her to go to the town itself, and she smiled, as if to say, “it’s a little easier reading a book.”

The Pooh stories, or any great stories, do that… They bridge gaps between people and whisk them off to another place entirely. (And franchise opportunities help too… especially to bring the characters to a broader audience.)

Pooh, not a complex character by any means, has managed to capture the hearts of so many because he never tried to do so… He just is. Whether he’s being a “bear of little brain”, or whether he has a rumbly in his tumbly… More than anything, he enjoys the simple pleasures in life, allowing us to do the same.

Three cheers for Pooh!

–Sue

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