Gracie Goes to Anthrocon

Gracie has always loved stuffed animals.  As a child she had dozens of them, including Beulah, a doll so big that she could wear Gracie’s clothes.   Gracie crowned her queen of all her stuffed animals in a ceremony one New Year’s Eve.   That night, Gracie’s sister was babysitting and she wouldn’t come into the living room where the animal conclave was assembled, because she was kissing her date in the kitchen.  His last name was Divine but Gracie didn’t think it was very applicable. Her sister liked him just because he was taller than she was, which was a rare treat for a 5’11’ high school girl.  Gracie remembers being told that she received her first stuffed animal at 18 months, and when she turned 16 she received a newer, larger model of the same stuffed dog. Its nose squeaked and it came with a beautiful red ribbon.  She would dress it in girl’s and boy’s outfits and you could tell by the wear and tear that it was absolutely her favorite toy.  She called her dog Morgan or Morgana depending on the outfit.  Apparently the dog was copied from the Jackie Cooper Show (1955-1958) and though that may be true, that dog was called Cleo not Morgan.  Gracie bought her Grandmother her first stuffed animal for her 90^th birthday, and Belly-Button Bear stayed on her bed until she crossed over to the other side.  Now Belly-Button lives with Morgan. 

The First  Encounter

Gracie meets up with a girlfriend, who tells her they are going to  visit an international convention of anthropomorphic animal enthusiasts – nicknamed the Furries – where they will mingle with hundreds and hundreds of people in furry animal suits .  Her girlfriend keeps an eye on Gracie, which gives Gracie enough confidence to totally relax and let go.  They say that when the student is ready the teacher appears and so the lesson on “Furry” etiquette begins with the rules of engagement:

“They don’t have a wide field of vision so don’t come up behind them or on their sides. Ask and they will pose with you! Give high fives.  Ask and they will let you hug them and sometimes even pet them.  These suits are expensive and not everyone wants to be petted.  Please don’t pull their tails as that is inappropriate, if not just down right rude.”

Gracie is a birder and naturally gravitates to those furries. Some of the suits have expensive details such as hand painted eyes and real feathers, which explains why they can cost thousands of dollars. Some suits look like illustrations of animals from fairy tale books of the early nineteenth century, that Gracie found and read in the attic of her childhood home. Everywhere she looks, Gracie sees unicorns, reptiles, mammals (mostly dogs), and birds, (owls and eagles). From Japan, there are kitsune some with as many as nine tails, who giggle with delight when they hear Gracie say  “konichiwa”. One thing is absolutely certain: they are all individuals with their own fursonas!  

You don’t have to suit up to come, as there are artists, animators, writers, costumers, and puppeteers.  They met a radio announcer from Texas who is affiliated with a Furry radio station.  He shares his expertise and recounts how he once had to make the hard choice between rent, car and food, or a Furry suit.  Hopefully, he will suit up someday soon.  Gracie spots an owl, who was on the other side of the street during the parade.   Later, she manages to get  her picture with Owl in the hotel lobby taking birding to a whole new level.  

The purpose of Anthrocon is to have fun and have fun they did.  Gracie and her friend were even on the nightly news and squealed out loud at their few seconds of fame.

Furries have handlers to help them get around and Gracie owes her smashing good time to her friend who took such good care of her.  It’s time to sign up for Anthrocon 2016 the theme of which is “The Roaring Twenties.”  Who knows, maybe Gracie will suit up!

The First Outdoor Parade

Gracie Leaves Missouri

Permission from Harry Truman
Library and Museum
Artist Greta Kemton

Leaving Missouri is not as easy as Gracie thought it would be.  There are so many decisions to make: what to see, what to leave for the next trip, where to spend the night... However, “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”¹  Ol’ Man River looms ahead and though Gracie  has crossed the Mississippi other times in her life, this time feels monumental.  She is alone and she  still has a long way to go. Gracie's navigational skills have greatly improved.  She makes a direct cut across the state to Kansas City, the  “Heart of America”,and, as with all matters of the heart, there is a wide expanse of interesting places to visit. Gracie decides to stop in Independence, birthplace of Harry Truman, 33rd President  of the United States.  He fascinates Gracie. He is the first president that Gracie remembers her parents talking about with passion.    Historians still debate the wisdom and morality of one of the most difficult decisions any president ever made – that of dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki which ended the war. History also acknowledges the post-war Berlin Airlift as one of his greatest  achievements.

The Airlift intrigues Gracie.   The timing of the flights,the coordination of the six air forces all

combined to supply Berlin with everything necessary to sustain life, including treats  for the children. That is an American trait, adding fun for children.  She learns from a friend that the planes used in Korea still had dust in them from the coal airlifted in to keep Berliners warm. Truman unflinchingly took responsibility for his actions and the plaque on his desk served as a constant reminder that the "buck" truly did stop with him.

Gracie’s family has a personal tie to this president as well.  “Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.”² and that saying may have motivated Gracie’s Grandfather to go Washington, D.C. in search of work during the Great Depression.  He became a doorman  at the Statler Hilton Hotel. One day, he was approached by an artist commissioned to do PresidentTruman’s portrait.  It seems that  Grandpap has similar bone structure to the President's and since  a president has more pressing matters to attend to than sitting for a portrait, they needed a model.  The news made Grandpap’s home town paper - picture of Grandpap in his doorman uniform too boot! Talk about fifteen minutes of fame.  The portrait remains in the White House to this day. Look up the stairway near the end of the tour and you will see Harry and Grandpap looking down.  Of course, when Gracie visits the White House, she winks and  waves when she leaves.  

Truman aside, Independence is also  the World Headquarters for the Community of Christ (Formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints).  There are many historical sites in Independence area important to the shared roots of the Church of Christ and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS Church),  which the Community of Christ has preserved and then passed to the LDS church for preservation. 

Gracie hooks up with her host couple in Kansas City.  They intend to visit some of the nearby historical sites but an accident on the highway prevents them, so they change plans and stop at a diner before heading to their home in Kansas.  The woman is quite chatty and talks a lot about her children and their many successes. Gracie is proud of her own children yet she isn’t willing to discuss them with someone she has just met. The woman talks about her happy marriage of decades and goes on and on.  Gracie doesn’t want someone else's blessings, yet she  begins to wonder if she isn’t a bit jealous.  Who wouldn’t want a faithful spouse or children who seem to just waltz down the highway of life?

Gracie is disappointed that she couldn’t see the sites and  surprises herself when she  asks if she can spend an extra night and go back to Kansas City the next day.  They agree and the woman offers to go with her as a tour guide.  Gracie is a bit apprehensive wondering if she will be able to deal with her feelings, or just plain turn green during their twelve hour day together. She decides that it’s a go and they make their plans.  They arrange their route with a stop off to go to church as it is Sunday, and then on to the sites.

Her companion is unbelievably well prepared with a small, yet informative book she plans to read while Gracie drive she also has first hand experience with the restoration.  "I have never let my schooling interfere with my education"3 comes to mind. 

Liberty Jail

First they go to Liberty Jail. The Prophet Joseph Smith surrendered himself with four others after General Samuel D. Lucas, informed the Far West settlement of Mormons that if he did not, the General's militia would slaughter every man, women, and child.  Since an extermination order against the  Mormons had been signed by Governor Boggs, Joseph's fears were well-founded. This is the first and only time such an order has ever been issued against a religious group in this country. The replication of the jail is authentic, cold, and uncomfortable for they had no bedding, horrible, sometimes even poisoned food, and few visitors."   Just thinking of spending over four months in such a hovel makes Gracie shiver.

Far West, another site of historical and future importance to Latter-day Saints became

became a ghost town after the above-mentioned events drove the Mormons out of the state.  However,  the site has cornerstones for a future Temple which the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hopes to build there someday. 

Time is running short and some sites will have to be omitted, such as Haun’s Mill, where several Latter Day Saints were killed by anti-Mormon forces.4  But enough of this.  Gracie longs for a peaceful ending to her stay in Missouri. 

Her guide promises it will be  found at Adam-ondi-Ahman,located north of Kansas City.  It’s located at the highest point above the Grand River.  Brigham Young dedicated it as a Temple site in 1838, but no cornerstones were laid, which isn't really that high.   On the surface, there is nothing there but cows, crops, public rest rooms and a few homes.  But in reality, there is much more.  “Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see,”5 and yes, the land seems to breath kindness into one’s soul.  Gracie listens intently as her companion explains how she and her family cleaned the grounds, moving rocks and debris over a period of years.

This turns out to be one of the most enjoyable days of the trip thus far. It's grand to watch two people who seemingly have little in common unfold the gift of a relationship. Gracie rejoices that their paths crossed and this interesting woman serves so well as tour guide. The hostess says  "you are a strange girl" and Gracie realizes that's a compliment. Each of them have trials, disappointments, unanswered prayers, observe or experience senseless tragedies and more of the afflictions that beset humanity in any time or place. No one gets out of here unscathed and we best take care of one another along the way.  Gracie is grateful for this woman.

1,2,3,5, (All quotes are from a person who made Hannibal Missouri, his birthplace, famous: Samuel Langhorne Clemens (ah, come on, you know him, Mark Twain).

4    For a more complete history of this period, search Liberty Jail and other site names.