The Company We Keep

“WILSON!!”
~ Chuck Noland

I have to admit I find this a bit creepy. That hand print was made (in the context of the movie) with blood. And it looks like a person….

However, I am in no position to judge who anyone chooses to have a conversation with. I find myself talking to, well, my self quite often. It’s not just when I’m alone in my apartment. I’ll be wandering around the grocery store talking about what I need to buy, the outrageous prices, how much one thing costs compared to another, etc. After several minutes I’ll realize I was talking out loud. So lately I’ve taken to holding my phone up to my ear so it looks like I’m talking to someone else.

On the other hand, I also talk to Oliver. All the time. He has a special, non-verbal language that only a few people understand. Well, two people to be exact. (Just for the record, I don’t expect him to respond, nor do I believe that he does in any tangible, audible manner.)

In the movie Castaway, which is one my favorites by the way, Tom Hanks talking to Wilson was more than just talking to himself. He was attached to that volleyball in a very real, emotional way. I have a similar connection to Oliver. When Hanks thought the ball had been lost at sea he cried out “WILLLLSSOOOONNNN!!” How many of you teared up? It’s ok to admit it, I do every time! And I get chills. Because I can imagine what he’s feeling.



I can’t explain how I feel about Oliver. It sounds childish to be so attached to a teddy bear, but he’s the only family I have here. He represents something so important and deeply rooted in my heart and mind that I can’t sleep without holding onto him. Does that make him my Wilson?