Frederick

When I was a kid, my imagination was wild, and I had plenty of imaginary friends to keep me company. But the one who I remember the most is definitely Frederick.

Ah, Frederick. Let me tell you, shopping with my mom was a nightmare. She could take hours to pick out just a single pair of shoes and a banana. We’re talking an eternity of wandering from aisle to aisle, while she carefully inspected every single thing. She had to see it all. I was too young to understand it then, but to my little self, she was the worst person to shop with.

I couldn’t take it. The boredom, the endless wandering. I needed an escape. So, clever little me invented Frederick, the giant turtle. Not just any turtle—he was massive, big enough for me to ride on his back. Somehow, he made everything feel a little less suffocating.

With Frederick, those harsh fluorescent lights didn’t seem so blinding, and the hours of waiting weren’t so unbearable. He was my shield, my distraction, and in a weird way, my comfort during those overwhelming trips. Even as I got older, I never quite forgot about him. He had his job, and he did it well.

I owe a lot of those long, exhausting shopping trips to Frederick. He helped me cope when the real world felt like too much. I wonder sometimes if Carson and Camila have imaginary friends too. Do they see the world like I did, filled with characters and possibilities to make it less overwhelming? And if they do, what are their friends’ names? I like to think their imaginary companions are just as loyal as Frederick was to me.