Another Look for a Missing Tail

By: Olivia Cheng

Cartoons were a huge staple when I was younger, and a classic favorite of mine was the ever so wonderful The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Who could resist the innocence of Pooh Bear, the loyalty of Piglet, and the undying ball of optimism that is Tigger. But no matter what others say, the character who warmed himself closest to my heart was in fact, believe it or not, Eeyore. To me, he was the tragic hero, the forgotten character of the show. Despite his cold exterior and his slightly pessimistic view on life, I saw a kind hearted donkey who wanted and was capable of love.

A common gaffe was that his tail, which was pinned to his behind, would go missing too often to count. And so came the game, “Pin the Tail on Eeyore,” which I actually played during one of my birthday parties as a child.

But however cute or funny it is that he kept losing his tail, there lies some truth to this sad tale – yes, pun intended. No one is perfect, and each of the characters in this children’s story is proof of this, Eeyore included. Whenever his tail went missing, his friends were always there to help; be it successful or not, they would try. And eventually they would find his tail and an amazing thing would happen… His face would light up and he would smile.

Maybe that’s why I loved Eeyore so much. Perhaps it was because he reminded me of how even the gloomiest of people can perk up, how even in the lowest of times there are always others willing to listen, to search, and help you find your way. We can all be happy and we can all make it through – sometimes we just need that extra hand to find our missing tail. And even if we can’t find that missing tail immediately, it’s always nice to know that there’s someone out there looking out for you.

 So if you ever see anyone who’s down, be they depressed or simply upset, don’t turn a blind eye. And even if they seem fine, ask how they’re doing anyways, because you never can truly tell by a person's exterior. If something's wrong, offer to help in someway, even if it's just to listen to their story. And who knows? You might just make their day. As Eeyore would say, “Thanks for noticing.”