We're in the throes of Halloween Unleashed, our 7th officially-sanctioned Small Rebellion. Your challenge is to wear a costume somewhere unexpected, just for fun. But it can also be for a good cause, too. Elaine Hand loves dressing up in costume. She was in a full-fledged witch costume at a recent speaking program I had in Illinois! (Maybe it's in her blood; her mother was born on Halloween :) The thing that makes her a Champion of Childhood in our book is that she wears costumes all year long! Here's how it started, in Elaine's own words: …
Champions of Childhood
A Champion of Childhood is someone with a childlike spirit who rallies against rules that don’t exist while engaging in ruthless, senseless acts of silliness that undermine the slavery of Adultitis and its unadventurous version of adulthood. We like shining a light upon the most remarkable among us, holding them up as a dazzling example of what we should strive for in this epic battle against Adultitis.
The Pediatrician with Dozens of Fake IDs
Ellen Leonard is an amazing pediatrician from Connecticut. She is also a Champion of Childhood. It would seem that of all of the world's professions, "pediatrician" would be near the top of the list when it comes to those that are most conducive to wearing Halloween costumes at work. Ellen does every year. While she's not the only person who does, it strikes me that at the hospital she's worked for over 26 years, she is in the minority. Even more notable is the effort she puts into her costumes. She's pictured above dressed as the Man with the Yellow Hat from Curious George. The pants, …
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The World Would Be Better if We Had More Giant Rubber Duckies Floating Around
I'll just state the obvious, because we've all thought it: We need more giant rubber duckies floating around in our lakes, rivers, and harbors. We also need more artists to think of ideas like this. The giant yellow ambassador of fun pictured above is the work of conceptual artist Florentijin Hofman, who states: …
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Serving Fun as the Main Course with a Side of Crazy
Spatula City is a meal in which everyone eats dinner with unconventional utensils. Think spatulas, spaghetti forks and soup ladels. Barbarian Spaghetti is when you eat spaghetti without plates. Crazy might be when you combine them both. …
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Woman Sees City Streets as Giant Take a Penny, Leave a Penny Repository
Mary Nuckolls is a Champion of Childhood because she gives away money. But not the way you think. She's not some rich heiress who has so much money she doesn't know what to do with it. She's not a professional philanthropist. She works at a preschool. …
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Sendoff of Co-Worker Gets Ugly
Kathleen Molland, Jeanette Raab, and Susan Withey were at a speaking program I did in Williston, North Dakota. I told the Ugly Cookie story. Then these three took it to a whole new level. Here's what happened, in the words of Kathleen: …
Daughter Teaches Dad Proper Way to Eat Banana
A few years ago, a TV reporter referred to me as "The Champion of Childhood." Although I never received a jewel-encrusted crown or an oversized gold-plated belt, it's a title I wear proudly. Admittedly, I don't actually consider myself "THE" Champion, but rather "A" Champion of Childhood. There are scores of people infinitely more qualified than me in this arena, but I quite fancy the idea of acting as "a militant supporter and defender" of the ideals of childhood. Ultimately, I like being a verb more than a noun. Kim and I love using the platform we have to highlight the brilliant …
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