Main Street

Nineteen years ago, on Christmas day, Fred came into our lives. Fred is a stuffed bear who has become, well … a member of the family.
It started with another bear, also named Fred. I bought him for my sweetie as a Christmas present a few years earlier and we liked his fuzzy face. Gund made the bear, which they called Spanky, in a variety of sizes and colors, and we ended up with more than one Fred, playfully buying each other bears and acting out scenes of triumph and splendor with the bears playing key roles (hey, we don’t have kids or pets, so this is what we do to be silly).
We visited San Francisco one year in the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas and had a good time drinking Irish Coffees, looking in store windows, and watching people shop. On a stroll through FAO Schwartz we saw that Gund had come out with a new Spanky. He was about $60 and that seemed like too much to spend for yet another Spanky, which we would rename Fred like all the others.
Uncle Pete to the rescue. Our friend Pete, who lives in the City, bought Spanky/Fred for us and delivered him on Christmas Day. Pete knew that we play-acted with the bears so he punched air holes in Fred’s box and put a little flashlight inside so he wouldn’t get scared. We had fun pretending Fred could talk and soon tossed him on the couch and got on with our lives.
Then, we started taking him on car rides. Lynn would drive and I would hold Fred in my lap, providing his voice as he waved at pretty girls driving sports cars and commented on the passing scene. It became a fun way to pass the time and our friends got used to seeing one of us grab Fred and talk in a funny voice when he wanted to make a comment. Our family and friends who have known Fred for years now talk directly to him, or even call and leave messages for him.
It was around that time that Grandma Mary got into the act. My sweetie’s mom is another playful soul, and lives far away in Ohio. Fred started interrupting phone conversations with Mary and demanding to talk to her. She played along and now loves her “Grandbear” Fred. On holidays we get a greeting card from Mary and it always includes a $5 bill for Fred and a little note to him. Mary is not the only family member to be part of the plot. Fred’s Aunt Sally has her own Fred (although he must be kept away from the family dog). My sister and two brothers are also Fred fans.
When I took a computer graphics class a few years ago, the final involved creating a small book. Most students designed cookbooks and family albums, but I made up a story about Fred and a book about his life and adventures.
Fred recently got his own Facebook page. You can search for “Fred Bear” if you want to be his Facebook buddy. His online posts tend to be petty grievances about me calling him a dog, or photos of Fred at a state park with the caption: “Guess what I did in the woods?”
Fred is 17 inches long, weighs about a pound, and sits on a shelf most of the day next to the kitchen table. He allows us to be silly, funny, profane, and sometimes sentimental and sweet. If I had known how much fun it would be having an imaginary friend, I would have found a Fred a long time ago.
Since he arrived in our lives on Christmas, Fred insists that: “Me and Jesus have the same birthday!” That works for me. Happy Birthday, Fred. Gimme one.
Ray Holley is wondering if the movie Ted is based on the life of his bear. He can be reached at [email protected].