Why the Hippo?

Unless you've known me for a super long time, you may have wondered about my choice of a profile photo. Of course, I am not literally a large and reportedly fairly fierce African river mammal, but it has long been my chosen personal mascot. It all began in my very early childhood--couldn't tell you how early exactly, but very young--when someone presented me with a very tiny blue plastic hippo figurine. Very cute. Don't even remember who gave it to me; maybe it was Mom or it could have been Grandma, but I quickly became very attached to it--thought hippos were the coolest animals ever. Sometime later--still very young, my Grandma gave me a book for my birthday about a hippopotamus that feels "inconspicuous" among all her many relatives at the river, so she goes to the city where she can be special. The inconspicuous hippo is named Veronica, and--as you may imagine--she has a hard time fitting in in the city. Many of the citizens get angry with her, as she swallows down a whole cartful of produce from the vegetable vendor, stomps on toes of the crowds in the subway, and causes serious traffic issues when she gets stuck trying to squeeze through a too-narrow gateway. Eventually, some kind citizen takes pity on her and helps transport Veronica back to the river where she belongs, and she then realizes she is quite happy being inconspicuous after all. Very charming kids' book, and apparently it helped cement my early fascination with hippos.

I still have the tiny blue hippo (even know exactly where she is displayed in my home) and many dozens more hippos: toys, figurines, ornaments, stuffed animals, gadgets, clothing, tools. You see, due to this early passion, my family through the years has used the theme rather rigorously in their gifting ideas for me. Very cool! For awhile, I even gave them all names and kept a running-register with their chosen moniker, the date given, and the giver of the gift; I would diligently record the new information each time I was given a new hippo gift. Seems almost creepy now, as I describe my compulsive habits. But, it does enlighten as to the extent of my dedication--or is that obsession?

And, if you need more proof of my juvenile commitment, let me confess a further piece of incriminating evidence. At some very young age, I was apparently so enthralled with them that I declared, "I'm going to marry a hippo when I grow up." Naturally, my social and biological awareness matured as I grew up, and my bride of now nearly 22 years is an inspiring and beautiful soul, who has good-naturedly endured the inevitable jibes stemming from my childish declaration. She has also valiantly tolerated the "hippo invasion," and in fact, has even contributed to it a bit. The hippo sculpture half-pictured in my profile photo is a replica of a very old artifact from Egypt. The original art piece is apparently on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York; the hippo is named William, and he is the unofficial mascot for the museum, and of course the "Met" sells various replicas of William. The precious bride has purchased me a set of William Christmas-tree ornaments, and also a stuffed-animal version at some point through the years. He is very cool!

When I was in high-school or college, I found a rubber stamp that was of a smiling hippo head, and I knew I needed it for my hippo-themed life. For several years, the stamp served as my signature on all the letters I wrote, and it functioned as a nameplate in my books, branding them as my property. I'm sure the stamp is still carefully tucked away in some box or other in my house, but I certainly don't know where. So, now, knowing more than you ever cared to of my personal history with hippopotami, perhaps you can see why I feel it's a fitting identity icon.

And, oh yes--one more thing. The etymology of hippopotamus is from the Greek, and it translates as "water horse." This little fact adds even another layer of meaningfulness and connection for me. My family is a horse family, and my gentle horse was my best friend during my childhood. My dear bride grew up not far from the beach, so she is fairly enraptured with the ocean, and the two of us tend to spend a lot of our leisurely together-time escaping to the lure and lull of peaceful waters--whether it's strolling in the "crick" at my folks', beach-combing or playing in the surf on the coast, lounging, swimming or simply enjoying the view at a scenic lake, or soaking in a bubbly, relaxing hot-springs. So, you see, "water horse" aptly entwines our histories and signifies our peaceful togetherness in a very personal manner. And, that's why a hippo.