hedgehogs

I collect two things: hedgehogs and skeleton keys. The hedgehog, oddly enough, has romantic reasons.

I grew up in the same small town with my husband, but we didn’t date until we were both in separate colleges. After our first date, he announced he was going to marry me. (Thankfully he did not tell me or we wouldn’t have had our second date!) On that second date, I pointed out a small stuffed hedgehog at a gift shop, mentioning that it was cute.

Fast forward nine months. We had hit a deer, totaled a car, survived several epidodes of drama and discussed marriage. After a quiet, home cooked dinner, he proposed with an elaborate succession of gifts and tokens–roses, letters, balloons, half dollar pieces, heirloom crystal and a stuffed hedgehog. (My man knows me well, as you can see from my post on Gifts.)

He had kept the memory something I admired, made a point of finding it and then incorporated it into a night I will never forget. Obviously, I kept the stuffed hedgehog (and all the other engagement paraphernalia) and I have added to the collection over the years.

Ugly Hedgehog

I found this hedgehog at an art fair in Broad Ripple, Indiana in 1998. He is so ugly I had to buy him.

I think hedgehogs are my favorite animal–not only because of their sentimental value to me. We also seem to have a lot in common.

• We can both be prickly and caustic.
• We both have unfortunate noses.
• We can roll into a tight ball and shut out the whole world, especially if we feel threatened.
• Beauty is not our strong suit.
• We are nocturnal, finding our energy at night and walking around bleary-eyed in the morning.
• We both hate the winter, choosing to hibernate instead.

Many of these common traits aren’t something to brag about. I know I should do a better job of surviving the winter. I should learn how to cope better, instead of retreating into a prickly ball. But my hedgehog DNA is strong. Change for a hedgehog doesn’t come as easily as it does to a snake, who can shed its flaws.

What animal do you relate to best? Why?

Monday’s post will be a surprise–to me too, since I can’t decide what to write.