Talisman

I remember the 100th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty.  This was when I was still living in my hometown, Newtown, Connecticut. There was a celebration fair in town, and we got a flyer about it in school. Since I have always loved the Statue of Liberty, I wanted to go, and my father took me and my sister.

One of the small items for sale was a small 3" pewter statue.  It cost $5. I wanted one, and my father gave me the money and sent me over alone to buy it.  There was a child slightly older than me handling the table, and I gave him the money and took the figurine.  I guess he was confused about our transaction, because his mom called me back to figure out what had happened.  I told her I gave the money (which the boy confirmed).  She switched out my figurine with one under the table which was not the display item with a price tag stuck to it.  And all was sorted out and well.

I never made it to the Statue of Liberty as a child. My Girl Scout troop planned a trip, but I could not go because my mother decided to move us to Georgia. I was so very disappointed.

Over the years, this little pewter figure became a sort of secret personal talisman for me. I used to take it places with me, especially if I was travelling. And when I finally made it over to Liberty Island, it came with me.

These days, it lives on my house altar.