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The Penguin with the Party Hat

by Honey Stone
06/12/18
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A few years ago I was part of an outreach festival to a neighborhood. After my face painting stint, I went around to check out all the booths. There was a prayer tent and a food station. There were some people singing and others were preaching. Then there were those teaching or rapping on the stages.

Then I found one unusual place that had a bunch of pictures spread out on a table. You were supposed to choose one card and then go to two gals for prayer.

I can imagine some would think this scenario was akin to Tarot card reading. I admit, it was a little risky because of that association but I felt it was okay. I found my card right away. I call it ‘the penguin with the party hat.’ Normally I would search and until I found the right one but that one card quickly drew me.

I got all sorts affirming words from those prophetic intercessor gals such as God sees me and that I am unique. That was fine. But the deeper reason I picked the card was because as an artist I feel 'different' from the masses. Let me say it again: I FEEL different from the masses. I may not outwardly LOOK different but I FEEL in nuances.

My brain and nerves are wired to distinguish subtleties of emotions and tactile sensations. Proof of this is that I always win the baby shower game of finding the most safety pins in a bag of rice. I am like the Princess in the story The Princess and the Pea.

When I was in art school I took a class called Color. The students took a color test where we stared at a sample of colors and then looked away to a white piece of paper. Then we selected swatches that matched those afterimages from a book of colors.

Everybody got afterimages caused by burnout of rods and cones in their eyes. There were various shades and degress of brightness to their eye’s reactions but it was always a complementary color.

I did not get any afterimages – maybe one faint one. I actually thought there was something wrong with me. But what it means is that my vision is pure as far as seeing exact shades and brilliance of color.

An example that proves this is when some co-workers asked me to settle the debate of the color of a cloud. One said it was gray and another said it was bluish-gray. I said it was a dull purple-blue. This ability initally made shading complicated because I tend to notice colors in shadows and can get caught up in the iridescence in hair and fur.

The bottom line is that I can see and handle a ton of color not matter how bright. So that penguin’s party hat symbolized my affinity for color.

Recently, I was at the Minnesota Zoo and I stopped to visit the penguins. They were behind glass in a room. Most of those black and white creatures huddled together on the man-made island except for the one swimming in the water. He was interacting with a little boy who put out his hand to touch the glass. The penguin swam a circle around his hand.

I also put out my hand and the penguin moved around it. Instantly a surge of love burst out of my heart toward him as our eyes met. I told the Lord that I loved that cute little penguin.

One day as I was sitting in my car before work, I told Papa God that I felt disconnected from Him. Pops said that He felt the same way about me that I felt toward that penguin. Tears of affection burst out of my eyes as I remembered the card with the penguin with the striped colored hat. I went into work with my love tank full.

The bible says that we see through a glass dimly. We are all so unique and so I guess everyone can identify with the penguin with the party hat is some way. Some because they are the life of the party and others because they are odd ducks.