I moved into my bedroom in the autumn of 1976. It was the room I scoped out, stalked and grabbed in a raw display of family power and eldest privelige. I wasn’t technically the eldest child, that gift being bestowed upon my sister Kelly. But, importantly in this situation, Kelly was not moving into this house in Martinez. She was off to Sonoma State University, and I had the delightfully rare opportunity to behave as the eldest child during that oh so pivotal move in stage.
In other words, and put simply, I was free to claim the best bedroom in the house.
Now, granted my parents chose the biggest bedroom, and rightly so. However, THIS room? Oh, it’s sweetness knows no bounds. Beautiful front facing, big corner window, room for a queen bed plus desk and more, and the cute quirkly little floor shelf that made for the best tiny stage set for my stuffed animals, personal creatures, and alters of various incarnations. I mildly puzzled for years about the original intent of this little spot raised off the floor and wrapped in moulding, but never came to any conclusions. I wasn’t all that interested in applying utilitarian function so much as I was inspired my its empty canvas aspect. I was intrigued by it and it became a stage for my imagination as I enquired into how I could fill it with life and story.
The first week that I moved in I made a show display, then for many years after, this little set stage became my holiday diorama. My floppy little stuffingless but well loved teddy was happy to be wrapped in swaddling as little baby Jesus, and Huckleberry hound played a mean Joseph, but best actress always went to cross dressing Snoopy who always reverently and somberly portrayed loving mother Mary. Snoopy never, ever let me down.
Kim Court, Martinez