My Flat Stanley: Part I

Do you know who Flat Stanley is?

I was reasonably sure I didn’t know who or what Flat Stanley was.

When I asked around my office, everyone had heard of Flat Stanley.

But me…

I wasn’t about to ask if I was the only one who didn’t know.  All I knew was I had been asked to help with a school project.  My involvement in the project had something to do with the fact that I lived in Alaska and the project home base was in Long Island, NY.  I was sure I would find out soon enough the question of whatever The Flat Stanley Project was because it was being mailed to me.  I was intrigued by the fact that a school project was being mailed as it gave me hope that somewhere out there, a group of people realized that not everything in the world had to be done electronically.

Suddenly, The Flat Stanley Project is missing.  An APB is sent out.  Possibly weather conditions due to the 2014 Polar Vortex were to blame for the delayed arrival.  I keep an eager eye out for the postman. 

On Wednesday, January 22, 2014, The Flat Stanley Project arrived at my office in Anchorage in a 9”x11” manila envelope.  It appeared to be flat.  Hmmm, wonder if that has anything to do with the name.

I opened the envelope and pulled out a letter.  A letter from Lauren in Long Island, NY.  I read her letter then checked the envelope and lo and behold, there was The Flat Stanley Project.

Only he wasn’t The Flat Stanley Project, he wasn’t even Flat Stanley, he was Lauren’s Flat Stanley and she had entrusted him to me.  For a short time he will be My Flat Stanley. 

Lauren’s letter told me the story of the Lambchop family.  Interesting parallel as part of My Flat Stanley story is also about a family. 

My Family.

Until the last several months, the vast majority of family I grew up with and had ever known were on the paternal side of my family tree even though my Father did not raise me.  His side of the family included multiple half siblings although I never really knew them.  I moved to Alaska three years ago to take care of our Father and after his death this past June, I found out despite many years and miles in between us, we are all connected by the genes of our Pater Familias.  It is like a new phase of life getting to know them.  And this doesn’t even count learning more about the maternal side of my “Tree”.

The only word to describe how people related but not raised around each other can have so many similarities; Astounding.

I was asked by my sister in New York to help out with her daughter’s Flat Stanley for school.  I was more than happy to do it, even though I didn’t know really know what it was.  What I did know is that she felt she could count on me enough to let me be a part of her child’s life and I felt quite privileged to be asked. 

(Dear God: Oh, please, please, do not let anything happen to Flat Stanley before he gets back to New York)

So, Flat Stanley is more than a school project, he is uniting two sides of a family. 

If you don’t know the story of Flat Stanley, then look it up on your iWhatever it is you have or maybe ask an elementary school student.  Or apparently, anyone but me…

I have decided for posterity’s sake, that I will chronicle the travels of Lauren’s Flat Stanley while he is here in Alaska.  For now, though he is My Flat Stanley and we hope you will enjoy reading about his adventures.