"Out of sight; out of mind." We have all heard that expression before, commonly as an excuse for forgetting - or wanting to forget - something. In this next story, we'll see just how far our main character can stretch the meaning of this colloquial catchphrase...
People called her "Starfish". When she was 3 years old she found a starfish on the beach. No one knows if the starfish was alive when she found it. All we know is that she managed to transfer that starfish from the beach, to the underside of her bed pillow without anyone noticing - that is until someone changed the sheets one week later. When Aileen picked up that pillow and saw the 5 pointed sea creature laying there, she just about had a heart attack. Her scream had everyone running in her direction wondering what was wrong.
Mamma saw the starfish and realized that her 3 year old daughter, Natalie, must have brought it home from their beach trip the previous week. At this point, the starfish was deceased, and smelled like it had 4 of it's 5 appendages in the grave. Mamma went to dispose of "the creature" - as she called it - saying "out of sight, out of mind!" as if Natalie wouldn't miss what was not there. But Aileen knew differently. She knew how upset Natalie would be if she saw that her starfish was missing; and despite her initial aversive reaction, Aileen fished it out of the trash when Mamma wasn't looking. She soaked it in a solution of diluted clorox, then dried it, and placed it underneath the pillow and fresh sheets that she had made Natalie's bed with earlier that morning.
Aileen was the domestic engineer for the Ulrich family. She was employed by the Ulrich's shortly before Natalie was born. Mamma Ulrich was an executive for a chain of department stores, and Daddy Ulrich a traveling salesman. Aileen had been Natalie's primary caretaker for most of Natalie's almost-4 years. And Natalie knew it. Natalie had an amazing memory. In fact, she never forgot anything or anyone, simple as that.
Back to the starfish: Natalie found the starfish under her pillow that night, and immediately noticed a change. She noticed that the sand had been cleaned off. She noticed that the stains of green and brown were faded. She noticed that the underside of her pillow didn't smell like a swamp anymore. And she knew that Aileen had found her starfish and kept it a secret for her, causing Natalie to fall asleep with her hands cupping her starfish, and with a smile on her face. That night Natalie dreamt that she was flying a kite, and the kite was pulled from her grip with a gust of strong wind. She was upset as she watched her kite disappear into the clouds, and when she tugged at her Mamma to look at what happened, her mother looked up and said, "my what beautiful clouds!" Natalie knew, even in her dream, not to ask her mother to notice the lost kite.
Natalie had heard her Mamma use the phrase, "out of sight, out of mind", many times. The first time she heard her Mamma use it was when Natalie accidentally dropped her cookie onto the sidewalk while being pushed in a stroller. Natalie remembers her Mamma's reaction to her plea for the cookie like it was yesterday: Mamma turned around to face Natalie, then looked up at Aileen and shrugged, "out of sight, out of mind". When Natalie was 2 years old, she heard her Mamma use the phrase in respect to the family dog. Natalie never saw that dog again. She heard Mamma refer to Daddy in the same way, but he always returned, which for a while was confusing for Natalie, considering everything else up until this point that was "out of sight, out of mind" was never to be seen again.
Once when she was 3 years old, Natalie was to be picked up from pre-school by her Mamma, as Aileen was on vacation. Mamma never showed up. Natalie remembers being driven home by the police, and the forced exasperation on her Mamma's face when she answered the front door and saw a police officer holding Natalie's hand. "Oh my, officer! I completely forgot! Normally my help, Aileen, picks her up! You know what they say - 'out of sight, out of mind' - I apologize for any inconvenience! Thank you so much for driving her home!" The police officer nodded politely, and handed Natalie over to her Mamma, but not before squeezing her hand in just the right way to tell her that he understood.
And so it went for Natalie's entire childhood, and most of her adulthood too - not being truly seen by her Mamma, and forming surrogate relationships with other significant adults in her life: Aileen, teachers, the clerk at the corner store who she bought candy and novelties from, music teachers, and professors. Some might see it as a miracle that Natalie grew up to be quite the opposite of her Mamma. She saw everything, and remembered everything that she ever saw. Natalie didn't see this as a miracle, but simply as ironic, and eventually as a gift. She used her talent to work as an intuitive healer. She travelled the globe, seeking mentorship with some of the greatest healers, until her name too was respected as one of the greats.
When Natalie was 32 years old, Aileen died. With this great loss, Natalie could find no other reason to stay root in her hometown, and so she moved to Phuket, Thailand, one of the most beautiful places on earth. She was known there as "Starfish", because she collected starfish that had washed up on the beaches of Phuket, and after washing and drying them, handed them out freely to lucky girls and boys who crossed her path. Although, after moving, she never saw her Mamma or Daddy again, she certainly never forgot them, nor the lessons she had learned from them growing up.
Your fire safety tip pertains to ATTIC FIRES:
Attics are one of the spaces in our homes that we don't pay much attention to. "Out of sight, out of mind", as they say - right?! Most attic fires are caused by: improper insulation or sheathing of the chimney in the attic space; defective wiring; lightning strikes; and fire originating from floors below that makes it's way up through vertical spaces in the walls. Although most of these fires are preventable, some of them are not.
Most attic fires are not noticed until the flames are coming through the roof, because smoke detectors are generally not put in attic spaces (due to having operating temperatures in the 32-110 deg F zone). However, there are some amazing devices called HEAT DETECTORS that work great for spaces such as attics, as well as garages, sheds, and utility areas where smoke detectors are not appropriate. Heat detectors work by sensing either an extraordinarily fast rise in heat, or a specific temperature meant to trip the alarm once it's reached (i.e 200 deg F). You can find these at your local hardware stores.
Thanks for reading - and thanks for taking the time to be safe!
Mamma saw the starfish and realized that her 3 year old daughter, Natalie, must have brought it home from their beach trip the previous week. At this point, the starfish was deceased, and smelled like it had 4 of it's 5 appendages in the grave. Mamma went to dispose of "the creature" - as she called it - saying "out of sight, out of mind!" as if Natalie wouldn't miss what was not there. But Aileen knew differently. She knew how upset Natalie would be if she saw that her starfish was missing; and despite her initial aversive reaction, Aileen fished it out of the trash when Mamma wasn't looking. She soaked it in a solution of diluted clorox, then dried it, and placed it underneath the pillow and fresh sheets that she had made Natalie's bed with earlier that morning.
Aileen was the domestic engineer for the Ulrich family. She was employed by the Ulrich's shortly before Natalie was born. Mamma Ulrich was an executive for a chain of department stores, and Daddy Ulrich a traveling salesman. Aileen had been Natalie's primary caretaker for most of Natalie's almost-4 years. And Natalie knew it. Natalie had an amazing memory. In fact, she never forgot anything or anyone, simple as that.
Back to the starfish: Natalie found the starfish under her pillow that night, and immediately noticed a change. She noticed that the sand had been cleaned off. She noticed that the stains of green and brown were faded. She noticed that the underside of her pillow didn't smell like a swamp anymore. And she knew that Aileen had found her starfish and kept it a secret for her, causing Natalie to fall asleep with her hands cupping her starfish, and with a smile on her face. That night Natalie dreamt that she was flying a kite, and the kite was pulled from her grip with a gust of strong wind. She was upset as she watched her kite disappear into the clouds, and when she tugged at her Mamma to look at what happened, her mother looked up and said, "my what beautiful clouds!" Natalie knew, even in her dream, not to ask her mother to notice the lost kite.
Natalie had heard her Mamma use the phrase, "out of sight, out of mind", many times. The first time she heard her Mamma use it was when Natalie accidentally dropped her cookie onto the sidewalk while being pushed in a stroller. Natalie remembers her Mamma's reaction to her plea for the cookie like it was yesterday: Mamma turned around to face Natalie, then looked up at Aileen and shrugged, "out of sight, out of mind". When Natalie was 2 years old, she heard her Mamma use the phrase in respect to the family dog. Natalie never saw that dog again. She heard Mamma refer to Daddy in the same way, but he always returned, which for a while was confusing for Natalie, considering everything else up until this point that was "out of sight, out of mind" was never to be seen again.
Once when she was 3 years old, Natalie was to be picked up from pre-school by her Mamma, as Aileen was on vacation. Mamma never showed up. Natalie remembers being driven home by the police, and the forced exasperation on her Mamma's face when she answered the front door and saw a police officer holding Natalie's hand. "Oh my, officer! I completely forgot! Normally my help, Aileen, picks her up! You know what they say - 'out of sight, out of mind' - I apologize for any inconvenience! Thank you so much for driving her home!" The police officer nodded politely, and handed Natalie over to her Mamma, but not before squeezing her hand in just the right way to tell her that he understood.
And so it went for Natalie's entire childhood, and most of her adulthood too - not being truly seen by her Mamma, and forming surrogate relationships with other significant adults in her life: Aileen, teachers, the clerk at the corner store who she bought candy and novelties from, music teachers, and professors. Some might see it as a miracle that Natalie grew up to be quite the opposite of her Mamma. She saw everything, and remembered everything that she ever saw. Natalie didn't see this as a miracle, but simply as ironic, and eventually as a gift. She used her talent to work as an intuitive healer. She travelled the globe, seeking mentorship with some of the greatest healers, until her name too was respected as one of the greats.
When Natalie was 32 years old, Aileen died. With this great loss, Natalie could find no other reason to stay root in her hometown, and so she moved to Phuket, Thailand, one of the most beautiful places on earth. She was known there as "Starfish", because she collected starfish that had washed up on the beaches of Phuket, and after washing and drying them, handed them out freely to lucky girls and boys who crossed her path. Although, after moving, she never saw her Mamma or Daddy again, she certainly never forgot them, nor the lessons she had learned from them growing up.
Your fire safety tip pertains to ATTIC FIRES:
Attics are one of the spaces in our homes that we don't pay much attention to. "Out of sight, out of mind", as they say - right?! Most attic fires are caused by: improper insulation or sheathing of the chimney in the attic space; defective wiring; lightning strikes; and fire originating from floors below that makes it's way up through vertical spaces in the walls. Although most of these fires are preventable, some of them are not.
Most attic fires are not noticed until the flames are coming through the roof, because smoke detectors are generally not put in attic spaces (due to having operating temperatures in the 32-110 deg F zone). However, there are some amazing devices called HEAT DETECTORS that work great for spaces such as attics, as well as garages, sheds, and utility areas where smoke detectors are not appropriate. Heat detectors work by sensing either an extraordinarily fast rise in heat, or a specific temperature meant to trip the alarm once it's reached (i.e 200 deg F). You can find these at your local hardware stores.
Thanks for reading - and thanks for taking the time to be safe!
