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June 22, 2007 |
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Ran Off To See The World
FOUND by Jason
in Danville, California
My son had a tantrum, and I gave him a twenty minute time-out in his room. After twenty minutes I went up to his room, and he was gone. I looked everywhere and couldn't find him. I go back to his room and see this note (he buried himself in boxes under his bed it turns out).
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Birthday Smile January 25, 2006 |
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We collect FOUND stuff: love letters, birthday cards, kids' homework,
to-do lists, ticket stubs, poetry on napkins, telephone bills, doodles -
anything that gives a glimpse into someone
else's life. Anything goes...
The actual story about finding the note makes the note even that much more adorable! I also love the irony about how he ran off to see the world when really he ran off to see the boxes under his bed!
i love your son, he sounds lovely
You can go plenty of places in boxes! When I was little, I built a train out of boxes in our basement. It had a car for each of my 5 brothers and sisters. Believe me; the track ahead was limitless. I wonder if Jason asked Nick "where he'd been."
that's so cute!
i love the "you are a good dad" part. i hope the world under his bed didn;t dissappoint...
How old is he? I'm glad that even though he was probably mad at you for the timeout he still left a nice note. And I'm impressed that he knows "PS."
Did he lock the window or close it?
Hold on a sec Nick. I'm coming with you!
(Hey, Dad. Obviuosly a good man raising another to be a good man. Boy, do we need more of that today. Thank you. )
This is just too damn cute! Dad, I hope you keep this note and show it to your son when he's all grown up. Who knows, he may write you a similar note in the future and really takes off to see the world! ; ) so lovely - thanks for sharing!
DO YOU BEAT YOUR KID WHEN HE LEAVES A WINDOW OPEN OR WHAT
Nicholas wrote this note when he was 7 years old. He just turned 8. I am going to keep that note for sure :) My theory on the closed window PSSS is that his plan was to leave the window open so it looked like he left out the window (2nd story by the way). But, he couldn't undo the safety lock.
I was very close to calling 911, but after a final thorough search, found his very effective hiding spot :)
I love this. Love it! Did he leave the music on to console you?
This note is cute. Jason, you must have worried about him.
I hate to be...whatever it is i might seem to be, but..does this count as a 'found'? Part of the mystery of a find is figuring out the writer, or the picture taker, who it was left for, who lost it, what the circumstances were.
We know all of this, Jason. It truly is such a sweet note. It's adorable. Your son must love you very much. But i dont think its a 'found'.
There..all you people can send me hate posts, if you want. But its my opinion.
I do agree with Mona Lisa's point in principal...... BUT.... this "found" is absolutely the cutest thing ever ever, and i wouldn't have wanted to miss it, so we'll let him off just this once :)
SALT, this isn't a therapy session. I charge for those. Whatever your parents did to mess you up, please take it up with them.
Jason, I love this note and I think you should put it in his high school year book ad, if they still let parents do that.
i think it is a legitimate find. he "found" it.
This note *is* impressive.
I wonder what music was left on.
I once left a fake running away note for my mom and hid behind my bed with my overnight bag packed with a change of clothes. It was all for show, but she took it seriously and cried and hugged me for an hour. It felt significant. We haven't spoken of it since.
Those aren't boxes, they're transmogrifiers!
This is an awesome found, and while i agree with Mona that it's not quite legit, i think i don't care.
Salt- a dash of sardonic laughter goes a long way to spice up this otherwise treacle-sweet found. thanks.
its legitimate. he FOUND it in his sons room.
therefore it is a find.
and an adorable one at that
Man, I wish I was that clever when I was seven... with the whole 'I closed the window thing' and I bet he put the music on so you couldn't hear him moving all the boxes. Genius.
I ran away when I was little. All the way across the road, but then I needed a wee so I had to go home...
My little brother ran away when he was about 4 after getting mad at my mom. He packed a bag and moved into the treehouse that was in clear view from our dining room. We all sat and had dinner and watched him fiddle with some toys. Before long he got cold and came back in. My favorite memory of him without a doubt.
I love reading children's spelling and trying to remember how it was like thinking that I had spelled something correctly. This spelling of "music" is incredible. I also hate children. But this is cute.
And damn you, Jason in Danville, for having the most un-googlefied name on FOUND.
I think Jason found the note AND his son, so this is actually a double find.
I have doubts this was written by a kid. It just set of my gut warning system. It's too smart for a 7 year old. Sorry if I offend, just my opinon.
My sister and I used to make elaborate plans to run away, then when it was time to go, we couldn't do it. We'd be in tears thinking about how much we'd miss our pets -- and Christmas! We couldn't miss Christmas!
Flargy, I think they were duplicators! So one could run away...
CHOO CHOO CHARLIE:
I too, used to make things from boxes. My sister and I would save all the old milk caps and bottletops and paste them to the inside of a refrigerator box. This was supposed to be a control panel for a spaceship.
Then one would climb in, and the other would shake the outside once the "door" was closed for takeoff.
I wish I could run away and see the world!
Nick is much braver than I am, even if he only got as far as the boxes.
This was a great one to see! (Even if the writer is known...)
It so reminded me of when I was a child, as I used to do stuff like this all of the time. Sadly, my parents still have some of my 10-page "essays" I would write to them when I was upset (and I'm in my 30s and just had my first child - my guess, they plan to share them with him... **sigh**).
Also, I had a boy I used to babysit do something similar when he got in trouble and knew his parents would be angry when they got home... The spelling of the words is always the fun part!
I agree with Michelle -- Mona Lisa might be right in principal, but I think this can count as "found" since Jason found the note left for him (and it's so awesome). I love that he reassured his dad with the "you are a good dad" in spite of running away to see the wrld.
Doubt-full, I'm sad you're so cynical. I believe it's real!
Arrrgh! "principle," not "principal"!
this is the cutest thing ever! i'm pretty sure all of us remember our hiding spots and how brilliant "our worlds" were. one time i threw a toy train down my stairs and my nanny got mad at me.. i hid under my bed for what seemed like hours while she searched for me. thanks for taking me back to my childhood for a moment Jason!
Who cares if it's "found kosher?" it made my day.I love that nick was thoughtful enough to alert you to the details of his escape and reassure you that you are a good parent even in the midst of a sulk. Doubt-full, Never underestimate children! they're a lot more savvy than we grown ups give them credit for. I know of one pre schooler who faked lactose intolerance because he didn't feel like drinking his milk. he kept the ruse going for over a week before anyone caught on.
thanks for posting
This is awesome. What a sweet kid. He was mad, so he decided he'd run away, but obviously he had some intelligent emotional insight as to how Dad would feel, so he told him he is a good Dad and even did little things to reassure him. That's really smart for a seven year old, in my opinion -- most of them aren't able to empathize or imagine how another will feel as a result of his/her actions. He sounds great!
I remember how those time-outs and obligatory naps seemed to take EONS. It was always unimaginable that I could be forced to lay in my bed for ten whole minutes, TEN MINUTES! I would call to my mom every thirty seconds or so to ask if I was done, until she got mad.
I can't say I ever ran away, but I did have a third floor room and a window seat where I'd "run away" to other worlds in my books. Ah, memories.
if i ever had a child, i wish it was one as awesome as this one.
he didn't run away out of spite, he ran off to see the world!!! absolute genius.
I love how you can trace his train of thought through the PS's.
Man, keep that forever. That is priceless.
Wow. What stories you can tell the future suitors! That note shows he is brilliant. I can hear the reception speech now (I don't know why my brain is wired that way). What did the last pss say?
I use to have to write notes when I got in trouble... my mom would make me write "I will not talk back to my parents" (or whatever I was in trouble for) 100 times (that also increased as I got older) before I was ok to go play again. Sigh.... She still has them and brings them out occasionally when my family comes over to visit.
This find is so cute though! I also leave the Museik on when I am upset... Kids rule!
Oh I think that's charming! I'm coming along too though...I'll be road snacks! The story does make it all the more cute.
I "ran away" from home once too when I was little....packed a shoe box full of art supplies and climbed up the small tree on the edge of our yard. Scared my Mom to death, but I knew I wasn't going anywhere for real.
*Blushing & embarassed* DUH! I MEANT to write "I'll BRING road snacks!" Ugh.
Now I AM going to go hide under the bed.
This is a great find and it counts! Look at the great stories that everyone is sharing!
Here's mine:
I was 7 or 8 and got mad at my mom and told her I was going to run away. My mother helped me pack a peanut butter jelly sandwich and an apple, tied it up in a bandana to the end of the stick just like you see in the cartoons, and pointed me toward the little patch of woods behind our house, told me not to be gone too long. I loved it, sitting out in the woods, eating my sandwich, realizing I had the best mom in the world. Finally got bored and came back home, where I was welcomed by my mother at the back door...aaahhhh sigh.
Curious, I think you're right. The duplicator would allow a Calvin clone to dupe his parents, while Spaceman Spiff went out on an intergalactic mission.
Erma, that's a great story. It sounds like you had an awesome mom who really understood how kids think.
Okay, This find started out totally different for me--at first I thought it said, "I ran off to see the wild love"
yuck.
Flargy and Curious, now I have to dig out my Calvin and Hobbes books to make sure! Loving this find.
doubt full, you must not know too many children!
Erma your mom is an inspiration. Lucky you!
Doubt-full: I teach 7 year olds, and you would be surprised at some of the things they say and write. They amaze and inspire me daily. Best job in the world.
Jason, You should totally frame (acid free + UV glass to preserve) that note and give it to your son when he graduates from high school or college or gets married...whenever he is ready to go off on his own.
My story - After getting in trouble for something, I decided to run away at age 6 and tied some of my favorite stuff up in my Bozo blanket. I tied it to the end of a stick like the hobos in the cartoons. My mom cracked up when she saw me and followed me outside where my dad was washing the car. They laughed. I was humiliated (and defeated) and went back inside...
Ok Calvin and Hobbes lovers! It depended upon how the box laid on the floor. If it was on it's side it was a duplicator. It the box was right side up it was a transmogrifier. I love Calvin and Hobbes.
Funny, at first I thought it said, "I ran off to see The Wild," as in "I ran off to see a movie with a friend, and maybe I'll come back when it's over." The real version is much cuter.
OK, OK, after reading all these posts I have to share my cute little childhood note moment too. Mine does not involve running away. We had a little mouse issue when I was around 5-6 years old. My parents set a few traps & one little guy got caught but didn't die immediately. I begged my mom to let me keep it as a pet. She would have none of that & she let the cats finish off the poor little critter. So I drew a picture of the mouse with a caption that read, "God's little rat that Moma had to kill." I left the note in the bathroom. She still talks about that note to this day!
Love this "actual" find. I got a laugh out of Turbos "I also hate children". Doubt full, you genuinely suck.
I love children as long as they're not mine. I loved how he spelled wrld.
When my dad was a kid, he drew a picture for his mother of a bird. It was captioned, "Balled Iggle."
And on the subject of childhood memories, my very first memory is of me wearing yellow footie pajamas and vomiting something resembling creamed corn all over my dad's shoulder.
Well... everyone is entitled to their opinion (even when its wrong.) I just think that this find (while, incredibly adorable) has its home on a site called "cute things my kid did" not Found. Finds, i think, are meant to be random, and mysterious.
All of your childhood memories are cute.
except for SALT. He's just creepy. And needs therapy. My diagnosis would be antisocial personality disorder.
My boxes were a thundercats headquarters control panel.
heres my story-
when i was seven, i asked to use the bathroom at school. when i had the hall pass in my hand- it was a clean shot to freedom! i walked right out of that school and down a few blocks before half the teachers, my mom, and the principal came running down the street screaming my name.
i diddnt run away again after that, i got in sooooo much trouble
I thought I was going to make it
all the way, but then he found me.
PS This reminds me of Calvin and Hobbes
this is so classic. my sis did the same and so she packed her things and put her coat on and walked out of the house but then later we found her just outside the door way sleeping in her coat. she never made it very far...
Love this find, and yes, it is a found object. When I ran away as a child (usually weekly) I went to a sand dune that was a block from my home, climbed to the top, and usually flew a kite, until dark, when I would go home. No one ever missed me.
When I was little, I remember writing a "running away" note. However, I was concerned about my spelling, so I approached my mother and asked her, in quick succession, how to spell the words "decided" and "away." At that point, she asked me if I had "decided" to run "away." I laughed and said no, and then I hid the note under my bed for future use. I never did get around to it...
legitimate find or not, this one has certainly inspired some of the more interesting comments don't you think?
Found Magazine is like Calvinball - you can make up the rules as you go along. So I think this definitely counts as a find, just 'cause Jason in Danville says so.
Man, that kid is very considerate. He closed the windows and everything! That's nothing like the notes I planned to leave my parents...
shouldn't it be PS, PPS, PPPS? post-post-post-script? meaning after the after-thought after the thought? i know he's just a kid, I just am surprised that nobody else mentioned it.
soooo cute. love it. I too have always been to chicken to run away from home, and I too have only run away to the world in my books.
damn- "too chicken" not "to chicken"
I once planned a great escape from my room while being punished and actually had the bedsheets tied together, out the window, when my mom went walking by with the dog. I got another punishment for trying to evade punishment. My parents still bring it up at family dinners to this day.
No one is playing AT you, SALT. Nor with you.
Although I don't think this note qualifies as a 'found' by the way this site defines a 'find', it was still found, and I'm definitely glad it was shared because it is absolutely adorable, especially the part about being a good dad.
PS SALT is absolutely obnoxious and needs therapy, I hate to judge, but there is too much caps lock and not enough optimism in his posts.
I believe, Mr. SALT, that you are also a pretentious FOUND regular.
I do not PLAY psychoanalyst at you. I provided a diagnosis that i believe best fits your profile.
haha thats something i might do.
My youngest son ran away all the time. Actually he was just happy touring the neighborbood and who knows if he would have ever come home by himself. Never left a note. He was certainly in trouble *after* we found him. No hiding in closets or under the bed, just pure escape.
I ran away once. I wore my ballet shoes and a teal sweatsuit. My hair was in a scrunchie. Hey, it was the 80s.
I went across the street, changed my clothes, and walked right back.
And Mr.Salt, if you were growing up in my house and shouted like that, my mother would have put soap in your mouth.
I ran away once, but I wasn't allowed to cross the street without an adult. So I went back home.
I'm wondering if maybe SEA SALT has a defective keyboard and is just too embarrassed to admit it. Or maybe it's not defective and S.S. drank something that made the caps lock key stick and now it's stuck that way 'cause the keyboard is dirty...another embarrassment not to be admitted.
Here's a tip! If you have a dishwasher, you can clean your keyboard in it. Just make sure it's completely dry before plugging it back in and using it.
That one was free. ;)
I ran away once... But luckily as my parents are divorced I just went to the other parent's house. I'm not very creative and therefore really easy to find... I also don't like to sleep on benches.
My sister and I always played a runaway game when we were little, we had these little tape cassette storage things shaped like mini suitcases (these were the inspiration for running away), we would pack some clothes and food, and runaway and live for the weekend in a popup trailer in the backyard. My parents thought it was funny (and it got us out of the house for the most part--we did have to return home to eat and stuff, as the suitcases were too small for much beyond a granola bar, really). Then when we got older she ran away to live with my dad and I stayed with my mom, and that was sad.
I like this find. It's so adorable.
Jason in Danville- Lost in Translation is terribly wrong. Last year, on his birthday my dad showed me a 21 year old note that i had written to him in lieu of a birthday present when i was 6. It was in a small box, the kind you buy rings in. No frame. No UV protective glass.
He took it out of the box and put it in my hand.
Stick and move kid, stick and move.
Don't let the bastards get you down. Fuck therepy, you made me laugh out loud.
i love this find, it might just be my all time favorite.
...that dad sure has got himself a good boy
This reminds me of when I was about 6. I packed up 3 Barbies, a dress of my own, and a box of macaroni noodles into my little pink plastic suitcase. Then, I proceeded to leave my parents a long explanation of why I was running away. I snuck out the back door and started walking down my street, only to get lonely and return before my parents even found the note! *Sigh* what a fun day...
Does anyone know the name for those hobo-handkerchief-stick bags? There must be a name for them.
haha I used to do the same thing when I was little, though I hid in the closet because my bed had storage chests under it. That's soo cute
I used to pretend to be kidnapped. My friends would come over and we would write a ransom note. Then, we stick it in the door outside bang on the door (kidnappers do not use doorbells) and hide. Only my uncle would ever play along. He is my favorite person to this day.
stealing my moniker sooooo not cool.
I had subterranean tunnels that I could go visit the boys I had crushes on like Vince and Todd.
Also- I imagined that I had a plastic bubble (like the boy in the) that would keep me from harm.
hmmmm- no wonder
Wow thanks for sharing everyone, even you, Salt. Nothing wrong with a little bit of black comedy every now and again. where would we all be without the occasional voice from edge?
Leave Salt alone.
Like a lot of kids, i "ran away" in my imagination when the real world wasn't quite working out for me. I've tried to let my imaginary places grow up with me. it's nice to know they're still there sometimes . reading these stories makes me wish i had the nerve to make a genuine bid for freedom during my childhood, though.
*sigh*
another regret from a misspent youth....
ps: that's voice from THE edge
ppss: sorry about that
pppsss: remember when half the point of letter writing was to see how many "ps's" you could add to the end?
ppppssss: Wild Love??? Gross, Gah!
I love the abundance of self-correcting posts on this topic. Seems like people are becoming a bit skittish when the grammar police are lurking about.
When I was 13 I ran away for a week. I think I left a f*** you note. Eventually they found me. I was sent to a foster home, and within a year I ran away for good. Several years later I decided that the street was no fun, and not safe for a young girl, so I decided to find a home. Now, 14 years later my family and I are so close that it amazes me. It made me a whole lot stronger as a person.
Mona Lisa -- I understand what you mean by it going on a site called "Cute things my kid's do", but at the same time.. this found is sort of mysterious. I mean even though we have a story here, we still have no clue what happened under those boxes, or even what he was REALLY thinking when he wrote the note. Not only that but, sometimes when you have a piece of the puzzle... a find is just that much better.
This is awesome!
and doubt-full, have you ever met a 7 year old? this is perfectly on par for their age.
If the 7 year olds you know can't do this, they are behind.
This reminded me of when our oldest got pissed off one time, and left a note next to her Bugs Bunny picture frame that said, "That's all folks!" She was such a brat. Love your stories. And yes this is very much on target for a 7 year old.
I agree this is totally par for a 7-year-old. I think it's just because we know the story that it's an issue. Otherwise we would be debating the window and the world/wild love thing.
And I think the hobo stick is called a bindle, or something like that.
I love this found, too!
The hobo stick is called a bindlestiff, I believe.
my mom saved all of the "hate notes" my sister sent when she was little. we found them recently when moving. we were laughing so hard we were crying. no matter how made she was, my sister always signed them "love, nina".
I made several running away attempts, but my mom didn't seem to mind- so the next time I wanted to get away I told HER to leave instead. Much to my surprise she got in the car and drove off down the street. I sat and watched tv and had fun in the house all by myself. I knew she'd be back ;)
What a great note and story, and what a sweet kid! 'your a good dad' :-) I wish my 2 1/2 year old could write me notes like this after her tantrums! LOL Would make life so much more ... well... more!
Hey folks, no need to call people names just because you don't agree with them! Sarah do you know anybody who is developmentally disabled? I hope you don't use the word retarded around them. Just don't use it period. It's very hurtful. Everyone's allowed their opinion and just because it's differnet from yours doesn't mean they shouldn't post. This would be a very boring site if only people who agreed with you posted. And I, for one, love Salt. And Doubt Full was quite polite in his assessment and even said he hoped not to offend. That's it. Carry on.
Correctin' Rex, I guess you told me! I'm terribly wrong for thinking preserving something might be a nice move? Ok...Jason should definitely fold it into a small square and put it into a ring box...whatever it takes in order for his little boy to have it at the right time.
Anyway, it was nice for your dad to do that for you. Those of us without fathers have no idea...
Umm OK Jello, I tried your tip but umm now my Laptop doesn't work....
Uhhh, I think if it is posted here it's a "legitimate" find! Silly me, but I think the "Found Guys" get to make the rules.
My favorite part is the "you are a good dad" -- despite him being punished, he doesn't lash out to you like I've seen many children do. Keep up the great work. =)
Reminds me that I too have ran away from home when I was just feeling neglected--I think around the same age. I remember planning it for a long time and I was able to make it out the back door with a duffle bag full of my favorite toys. I walked around the block twice before realizing on my own that I was mistaken, and on my way back my older brother found me. My parents (dad, especially) were very angry and ostracized me from the family for weeks. They've probably forgotten about it by now, but its only now that I realized the depressing irony of the whole thing.
Hopefully this wasn't already asked, but I SWEAR I this saw this find on FOUND before June 22nd, anybody else?
I did send it in about 3 months prior to the posting. But, I think it was only posted 6/22/07. I still get really funny notes from Nick :)
HAHAHA kids are hilarious
This is cute. I have no doubt that this was written by a 7 year old. It reminds me of the notes my 6 year old writes when she is upset with me. She writes sad all over a piece of paper and then draws little sad faced people, animals and objects. It's pretty pitiful and breaks my heart and she knows it. Then she leaves them in strategic places all around the house. She's already a little con artist. ;o)