At the age of 4, I fell in love. I knew it was love, too, not just some fleeting moment of fanciful desire. I was acutely aware that anyone I thought of so often that I couldn’t even make myself take a nap was a pretty special person, indeed. How could I nap? I was planning our future and naming our 12 children.

He was easy to love, too. He was lanky, shy, and without even trying he made me laugh. When he got picked on I wanted to wallop any smack talkers. When he was frightened, which was fairly often, I wanted to hold his hand and tell him that everything would work out; he’d see. It always worked out.

It became apparent through the years that it wouldn’t work out for us- he was a dog person, I prefer turtles; once school started I was busy whenever he was around; he was a cartoon, I was…not a cartoon. Despite this I will always remember Shaggy as my first love.

Oh, to be Scooby, who was always jumping into those pale, scrawny arms.

As cartoons progressed, everything changed. These days I can easily love a cartoon, but I have never been able to find one single character who gives me the tingles because of his innocence and beauty in the same way Shaggy had done.

Until today.

Today I watched The Velvet Mouse Show, a cartoon that takes me back to what cartoons used to be, back to a time when kids were supposed to watch them and adults might find themselves drawn in as well. And as I watched, that no-nap-time feeling crept back into my heart as the dreamy newly ordained wizard, Luck E. Charm entered the frame, bespeckled and slightly nervous. And just in case you didn’t know, he’s Merlin’s nephew. I’m not name dropping, just stating a fact.

Oh, Lucky. She's not the girl for you.

This time, I’m going to be better at keeping the flame alive. Time is on our side. I can spend time with Lucky on the Velvet Mouse site. I can download him so that he’ll never leave me. I’ll even back up the file, that’s how devoted I am. And maybe one day, I will find a way to become a cartoon and join him. (I was just reading in Time magazine that scientist have created a reasonably textured chicken substitute, so I bet within three years they’ll have the technology to turn me into a cartoon. I’ve done crazier things for less worthy men.)

So, I recommend you check out the Velvet Mouse Show. Have a giggle. Get that old childhood feeling back for just a minute. Sing along to the happy music.  But stay away from my Luck E. Charm, or I’ll have to kick your ass.