I was recently remembering back to when my son at age 3 (or so) had a little posse of imaginary friends. They often changed sex and age, but they were a great tool for exploring emotions and interactions. They all had a French theme for some reason and their names were TanTan (french Tin-Tin?), Santiette, Jeantiette and Courgette. They were all benign but would sometimes argue and do imaginary naughty things. I believe they were a very healthy expression of my boys own thoughts, fears and hopes. When they all one-by-one disappeared at around age 5 he just said he didn't play with them any more. When they're brought up in conversation now, they're fondly remembered as old friends.
I wonder what imaginary friend stories you all had/have? (obvious jokes aside...)
Hmm... I don't think I ever had an imaginary friend. Oh, I used to dream about what a perfect friend for me would be like, since I've never even had any really good ones - not by my standards... Yet I didn't take it beyond some wishful speculation.
Imaginary girlfriend, on the other hand... Did a lot of that. Funny how she always ends up looking just like my right hand ;D
... ... Oh..! Right..! No jokes. Sorry. :(
I had a one armed bear he was quite a fine chap, we hardly ever argued.
I had an imaginary friend when I was little! His name was "Doctor". I don't think we got up to too much trouble, I just remember "playing" with him with my stuffed toys and stuff like that.
Of course, now that I'm older and have started watching Docotor Who, I just like to think that I was a really cool, forward thinking little kid :D
Quote from: DeterminedJuliet on November 27, 2011, 11:42:39 AM
I had an imaginary friend when I was little! His name was "Doctor". I don't think we got up to too much trouble, I just remember "playing" with him with my stuffed toys and stuff like that.
My fast reading techniques can sometimes lead to some... Interesting interpretations.
Just how DOES one play doctor with an imaginary friend? ;D
DANG..! That qualifies as a joke too, yes? I'm so LEAVING this thread before I ruin it. >:(
... ... Maybe
Quote from: Asmodean on November 27, 2011, 12:27:02 PM
Quote from: DeterminedJuliet on November 27, 2011, 11:42:39 AM
I had an imaginary friend when I was little! His name was "Doctor". I don't think we got up to too much trouble, I just remember "playing" with him with my stuffed toys and stuff like that.
My fast reading techniques can sometimes lead to some... Interesting interpretations.
Just how DOES one play doctor with an imaginary friend? ;D
DANG..! That qualifies as a joke too, yes? I'm so LEAVING this thread before I ruin it. >:(
... ... Maybe
Actually, those jokes are fine - it was the inevitable God jokes I was trying to avoid...
It was totally innocent! I was like, three years old!
tsk tsk, Asmo. tsk. tsk.
Quote from: DeterminedJuliet on November 27, 2011, 11:42:39 AM
I had an imaginary friend when I was little! His name was "Doctor". I don't think we got up to too much trouble, I just remember "playing" with him with my stuffed toys and stuff like that.
Of course, now that I'm older and have started watching Docotor Who, I just like to think that I was a really cool, forward thinking little kid :D
My God! That's what happened to Amy Pond... and he wasn't imaginary after all... You can expect a visit sometime soon and maybe fly off for some love-tryst/sexual-tension filled adventures... Good luck...
Quote from: DeterminedJuliet on November 27, 2011, 11:42:39 AM
I had an imaginary friend when I was little! His name was "Doctor". I don't think we got up to too much trouble, I just remember "playing" with him with my stuffed toys and stuff like that.
Of course, now that I'm older and have started watching Docotor Who, I just like to think that I was a really cool, forward thinking little kid :D
I wonder how real he was to you? Can you remember? (or is he still around ;D)
Quote from: Scissorlegs on November 27, 2011, 12:31:50 PM
Quote from: DeterminedJuliet on November 27, 2011, 11:42:39 AM
I had an imaginary friend when I was little! His name was "Doctor". I don't think we got up to too much trouble, I just remember "playing" with him with my stuffed toys and stuff like that.
Of course, now that I'm older and have started watching Docotor Who, I just like to think that I was a really cool, forward thinking little kid :D
My God! That's what happened to Amy Pond... and he wasn't imaginary after all... You can expect a visit sometime soon and maybe fly off for some love-tryst/sexual-tension filled adventures... Good luck...
Ha! Well, my husband is rather "Rory-ish". So, if you guys don't hear from me for a while, assume I'm traveling through time and space.
Quote from: Scissorlegs on November 27, 2011, 12:35:17 PM
Quote from: DeterminedJuliet on November 27, 2011, 11:42:39 AM
I had an imaginary friend when I was little! His name was "Doctor". I don't think we got up to too much trouble, I just remember "playing" with him with my stuffed toys and stuff like that.
Of course, now that I'm older and have started watching Docotor Who, I just like to think that I was a really cool, forward thinking little kid :D
I wonder how real he was to you? Can you remember? (or is he still around ;D)
I don't think I ever thought he was actually "real", real. I just liked the idea of having a buddy that I could talk to and have (INNOCENT) adventures with, so I made him up. My mom remembers him, though, so he was important enough to tell the rest of my family about.
I had an imaginary friend. He was based off of the little people from lilliput? is that how it's spelled?
I still "keep" him slightly changed in my comic stories.
I had an imaginary black kitty named Flicka, which means girl in Swedish but hey can't blame a five year old for crappy names haha.
Quote from: RunFromMyLife on November 27, 2011, 05:15:44 PM
When I was young I even had a hard time wrapping my head around all the "pretend" games my friends wanted to play. So, no, I never had an imaginary friend. I don't think my brain is wired for it.
Same with me, I absolutely sucked at let's-pretend games with other kids.
Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on November 27, 2011, 05:34:23 PM
Same with me, I absolutely sucked at let's-pretend games with other kids.
I pretended, but never really got the point. Just did it to avoid disappointing my "friends"
Nothing wrong with my imagination, I just can't apply it to the real world in the same way others do. Thus, what I pretend to be is not always that which is expected and I don't always see people pretending to be something for that which they pretend to be.
Quote from: DeterminedJuliet on November 27, 2011, 12:39:15 PM
Ha! Well, my husband is rather "Rory-ish". So, if you guys don't hear from me for a while, assume I'm traveling through time and space.
...And you've definitely got a bit of 'Pond' about you going by your photo... which is no bad thing IMHO ;)
Me?, I'll spare you all the photo, but I've got Rodney Trotter written through me like a stick of rock! :D
I never had an imaginary friend, though I did imagine lots of things. The Aliens movie heavily influenced many of my imaginings when I was about six years old even though I hadn't actualy seen the movie until several years later. Ninjas were also a common theme of my childhood games.
My eldest has what is sometimes an imaginary friend and sometimes an alter ego. Arthuroid is a robot boy who is impossibly brave strong powerful fast etc.
[hot_face] I had some imaginary friends when I was a kid, but I'm not telling you about them. [/hot_face]
Quote from: Willow on November 28, 2011, 04:29:06 PM
My eldest has what is sometimes an imaginary friend and sometimes an alter ego. Arthuroid is a robot boy who is impossibly brave strong powerful fast etc.
That's very cool! He'll go far ;D
Quote from: OldGit on November 28, 2011, 05:40:16 PM
[hot_face] I had some imaginary friends when I was a kid, but I'm not telling you about them. [/hot_face]
Beans! Spill! Now! ;D
Quote from: Tank on November 28, 2011, 10:02:32 PM
Quote from: OldGit on November 28, 2011, 05:40:16 PM
[hot_face] I had some imaginary friends when I was a kid, but I'm not telling you about them. [/hot_face]
Beans! Spill! Now! ;D
An' pick 'em up after! (https://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.somethingawful.com%2Fforumsystem%2Femoticons%2Femot-rant.gif&hash=342a353fba31558ab2bb60699911999f627295e3) Just sweeped the kitchen floor. And that without a spine.
I can't remember having imaginary friends as a child. Like Git, my imaginary friends (all girls) didn't show up until adolescences kicked in. Damn hormones!!
Coincidentally, there was a show on BBC Radio 4 today about imaginary friends. It was interesting to hear other peoples' accounts, but I was disappointed that the host was spectacularly ignorant about the psychology of it. He kept asking "...and were you particularly lonely as a child...?" - obviously didn't know much about his subject. Shame on you R4!
I was always amused by my son, who when I asked him why he'd given the names that he did, he looked at me quizzically and said "well, that's their names, silly". Can't argue with that!