Flat Squirrel Creations: Awwww... a sweater!!

I feel like it would be appropriate to explain very early on in this project how I feel about animals. I realize that the name of this project "Flat Squirrel Creations" does offer some, well, less savory connotations about roadkill. And the idea of cute, cuddly, fluffy animals disfigured into genuine-leather frisbees is certainly distressing, though slightly humorous in the inherent misfortune of their life choices.

life choices

Clearly stated: I love animals. I hate the idea of an animal being killed or injured. I can empathize with the unfortunate, indecisive squirrel as I continue to be mowed over by life on a semi-regular basis.

Seeing an animal on the side of the road always makes me sad. When I was young, I recall a story about a mom who would say "Awwww, a sweater!" and shake her head sadly whenever they passed roadkill. The child wondered at their mother's sadness over lost apparel, and it wasn't until the child was a bit older that they realized the true identity of the fuzzy blob on the side of the road. I always thought this was a wonderful way to handle a sad thing--to protect your children as long as possible from the harsh reality of modern travel.

I kept this in mind when I had my son, and figured I'd put it to good use. I saw an animal on the side of the road, and as we drove by, I clicked my tongue and said "Awwww, a sweater." My son, who also occupies his own unique dimension in space, snapped to attention and craned his neck, "Where?! I didn't see it!" Then he got mad because I wouldn't turn the car around to go back to show him the "sweater."

*Not my actual kid/but pretty accurate visual

So, in trying to preemptively rescue my son from undue emotional trauma, I ended up causing him distress by pointing out something he was completely unaware of. Awesome. I have now learned to just ignore roadkill, and more than likely my little martian will not return from his intergalactic daydreaming to even notice.