On September 2, 1955 creator Art Clokey produced his first ever claymation short film. Just a few pulsating lumps of clay set to jazz music became the first known recorded music video ever. One day, a producer named Sam Engel saw the film, and said to Art, “Can you make little clay figures out of that clay and animate them?” When Clokey said he could, Engel, in an incredible act of generosity, told him he’d finance the pilot.
“I want to improve the quality of television for children,” he said.
And that’s how Gumby was born. (source)
I never got into Gumby. He was before my time, and even when his popularity surged again in the 80s and 90s, I failed to pay much attention. The world of boys and books were much too interesting.
Recently, though, I came across an old photo of Gumby, and his origin story became interesting to me.
Did you know, for example, that his form was based on that of the Gingerbread Man?
Yeah, I see the resemblance.
But while the two characters may look similar on the outside, we all know what’s inside is what really makes them who they are.
Whereas the gingerbread man is made of flour, sugar, butter, and ginger (yum!), the humble Gumby is nothing but a simple lump of colored clay.
Clay is the basic medium for creative conception of new forms,” Art said in Gumby: The Authorized Biography of the World’s Favorite Clayboy . “It’s malleable, and it changes every time you touch it. You push and mash it, and a lump turns into something, just like magic.”
Have you felt a little bit like Gumby these last six months?
If you have felt like a bit of a lump, you’re not alone.
But are you Gumby or are you the Gingerbread Man?
Pushed and pulled in a million directions, dirty and misshapen through excessive manipulation, the interesting thing about Gumby is that he always returns to his original form. The Gingerbread Man, however, is fragile. He breaks and is consumed.
Where We Are
“Just gonna tell y’all something. By the time you’ve been married over 40 years, you’ve been married to about four different people. So have they. It’s a miracle of God any of us ever make it.”
Gavin read that tweet out loud to me while we were on vacation last week, and we laughed because even though we’ve only been married (almost) 25 years, we know it’s true. We are different people than we were back when we said “I do” in 1996. Some people call it quits when they realize the person they’re with is different than the one they married, but we’re glad. We both looked at each other and said, “Thank God we’re not the same people we were 25 years ago!”
These days, I keep hearing people say, “I just want things to go back to the way they were!”
But even if the things do go back to the way they were, we never will.
We aren’t Gumby.
This season is one of those pivotal moments—something we’ll always point to as a definitive turning point in our lives—like 9/11 or our parents getting divorced or the birth of our first kid. Even if the world isn’t different, our world, the one we inhabit and take up space in, will never be the same. What’s happening to us is that we are being stretched, prodded, pushed, and mashed.
Will we be better?
We get to decide.
We may want to flush 2020 down the toilet for good, but before we do, let’s pause and remember: Happy endings only happen once all the lessons have been learned.
In what ways are you changing in this season?
When it’s over, what new pieces of yourself do you want to keep?
The Lessons We Learn
Write down some of the things you’ve learned in this season. Here are some of mine:
I need people more than I thought.
I waste time even when I have lots of time.
The good life has nothing to do with money.
Spending more time with my kids has been an unexpected delight in this season.
Peace follows the beauty we create—whether that’s in art, books, homemaking, or food.
And if you’re a Christian, take comfort in the fact that even if we are nothing but a humble lump of clay, we can count on God to make something beautiful out of us.
“Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.”
Want more good stuff?
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