I was trying to get some computer work finished today, but the memory of my Little Wizard Man puppet kept interrupting me. Little Wizard Man is a bald paper-mache puppet that I made when I was about 10 years old. He has a long and pointed nose and wears a silk red robe. I made him with newspapers, glue and cloth and he is one-of-a-kind.

I played with puppets for many years as a kid, so it is completely natural for me to animate them. Ask my friend Cathy. So once I thought of him, I could easily imagine what he’d say to me, today:

Irene: What are you doing here?

Little Wizard Man:  I am here on a very important mission.

Irene: But I don’t have time to talk to puppets. I am not crazy. I need to find a job… and take care of sick people.. and do my computer programming…

Little Wizard Man:  If you don’t have time for puppets, you’ve lost your way…

Irene:  Oh so what do you think is my “way”?

Little Wizard Man:  I am your alter ego. Ha ha. I think you should make more puppets. I’ve been locked away for about 30 years now and I don’t even have a wife. Make me a wife.

Irene: Um..  but I have so much to do… you’ve got to be kidding!  I need to make money….

Little Wizard Man: Ok then I want a pet monkey. Make me a pet monkey.

Irene: Monkeys don’t make money, either?

Little Wizard Man:  Excuse me, but didn’t write in this blog that art is more important than anything? That art is sacred and that we can’t live without art? That puppets can change the world?

Irene:  Well I said something like that… except for the part about puppets. You’re just a puppet, not a work of art.

Little Wizard Man: I take offense to that.

Irene: Sorry… I guess…

Little Wizard Man:  Yeah, right.  All you do all day long is sit at that silly computer and try to make money.  You used to write and read books. You used to make things. You used to have FUN

Irene: Well, life is hard.

Little Wizard Man: Are you sure you want to be a web programmer? Really?

Irene: Yes…of course.

Little Wizard Man: I am going to make your computer disappear.

Irene: No, no, don’t do that !

Little Wizard Man:  Here we go. Abracadabra…

Irene: No, stop!

Little Wizard Man: Ok but then I I am going to pull your cat’s tail.

Irene:  No, no, really… leave me alone!  Are you trying to torture me?

Little Wizard Man:  Well, I’ve been locked away in this this old trunk for 30 years. I haven’t seen the light of day, in years. You can’t even find me…

Irene:  Um, you’re just a puppet.

Little Wizard Man:  Are you kidding me? I am your alter ego. Haven’t you been watching YouTube? Or Netflix? Everyone has alter ego’s nowadays.

Irene: Do you mean an avatar?

Little Wizard Man:  What’s an avatar?

irene: An avatar is a small computer character that pops up to represent people on social media and Facebook and in chat rooms.

Little Wizard Man: Like I said, everyone has alter egos now.

Irene: Ok you have a point. Are you saying you want to be my avatar?

Little Wizard Man: I am so much more than an avatar. I have feelings, you know.

Irene: No I didn’t know. I did not know wizard puppets had feelings!

Little Wizard Man:  Well I do. I need attention. I want to be an avatar on your art scraps blog and I want to write a blog, too!

Irene: You’ve got to be kidding. What do puppets need to write about?

Little Wizard Man:  Oh, we have our ideas ..

Irene: Do you, really?

Little Wizard Man:  Yes. Like you might have touched on a few things I liked. I like what you said about sacred spaces in art.

Irene: Glad to hear it.

Little Wizard Man:  But you are a coward to hide what you really feel! Why not tell everyone how you really feel?

Irene:  Umm…

Little Wizard Man:  I can help you write the blog. People will listen to me. I am cool! I look good in sun glasses!!!

Irene: So is that all you want, to be in the blog?

Little Wizard Man:  Of course there’s more. When are you going to make more puppets?  I miss playing puppets with Cathy.

Irene: I can Facebook Cathy for you, if that’s what you want.

Little Wizard Man: What’s Facebook?

Irene: It’s a place on the computer you talk to your friends.

Little Wizard Man:   Can I do a puppet show on Facebook?

Irene: Well that might not work. You could only put on a show on YouTube.

Little Wizard Man:  Oh well then, forget Facebook. I want to be on YouTube!

Irene:  Geez, what does this have to do with me or my blog? I can’t just let you take it over. Let’s get serious. Who do you think you are?

Little Wizard Man:  Don’t you know by now? I am your little wizard alter ego. I want to have fun again. This world is getting to hard. I don’t like it. I want to have fun again.  I want a monkey. Okay?

Irene:  Well maybe you have a point. I miss making puppets with my friend Cathy. Life has been so hard. I wish I could be a kid again. It’s hard to get older and worry about things.

So what do you think? Should I let Little Wizard Man have an avatar, a puppet show on YouTube, and should I write more about making puppets? Can you relate to Little Wizard Man?