SALLY

Two summers ago I was on the hunt for a used wicker chair in reasonable shape (used because a new wicker chair for some reason cost 9 million dollars) so I had been dragging Mr. Lovely (and when available, one or more of the kids) to a various antique markets, fairs and vintage shops. SO FUN! I discovered a lot of junk, (quelle surprise), but also a lot of really cool stuff including these handmade dolls, one of which was Sally.

Her name wasn’t Sally at the time but I named her Sally because I had been reading the Hemingses of Monticello, a superb history by Annette Gordon-Reid, after our trip to Virginia (and Monticello) in the spring and this doll cried out to me “Sally” (actually she can’t really talk or cry out on account of she has no mouth, but you know, metaphorically).

Sally (Hemings) was Thomas Jefferson’s mistress and slave and I was a little bit in love with her. And by the way what is with Jefferson, one of the authors of the Declaration of Independence where all men are created equal, having slaves? I know it’s complex but do you mind, sir?

I am not really a doll person or an impulse shopper (I ponder a good 15 minutes over a pair of socks) but Sally was so beautiful and so compelling and so reasonably priced ($35.00- such a deal) that I just had to have her.

To say the least I was pretty excited and looking forward to introducing Sally to my kids who were all home for the summer. So imagine my surprise when they did not immediately share my enthusiasm for Sally. Phil and Meg (my son-in-law and daughter, normally non-judgmental and compassionate people) cried out in horror- “Get that thing away from me!” Al (my non-conformist son, who is really easy going and accepting of most things different) flatly declared “I hate Sally!” (A bit strong, don’t you think) and Ed (my artistic, type A 
{yes, she is both} daughter) moaned in despair like a true drama queen “Why is this happening to us?”(Surely an overreaction). Calm down everyone!

What was I to do with all that? What can a person do when their aesthetic and moral choices are rejected? Nothing. Slowly try to implement change and acceptance. In this case that would involve having the parties live together so everyone could see that they were not really so different after all.

So I set up Sally in the den, a thoroughfare to the kitchen (the most popular room in the house) so that they could get acclimatized to her. I figured by seeing her on the couch, innocently sitting there with her big button eyes, cute hairdo, and simple frock, hanging and  watching TV with her and just generally recognizing that she was a good sort, they would gradually get used to her and would grow to love and accept her as part of the “family”. Or not so much. Progress has been made though- Sally is pretty much ignored but at least no longer reviled.

 Sally now has a buddy, Mabel. More about Mabel to come.