A good friend emailed me after Donald Trump was elected president. She told me she voted for Trump and some people she knew, who disagreed with her choice, were angry with her giving her a hard time. Some of them wouldn’t talk to her anymore.
It was during that time, just after the election, when I was trying to figure out how I would deal with the results of the election, that I decided one thing I would not do is let the divisive nature of the Trump campaign and presidency make me divisive too.
I could and would express my feelings and beliefs without hating my friends and neighbors.
After the mass shootings in Texas and Ohio, when Donald Trump was asked by a reporter if he thought his rhetoric was divisive he replied, “My rhetoric is very—it brings people together.”
This absurd doublespeak by the president left me speechless.
But I did find my voice, in creating a Tiny Pricks.
With Trump’s words in mind, I looked through my stash of vintage linens and hankies that people have been sending me for years. In a collection of small children’s hankies, I found what I was looking for.
I always found this hankie a strange way to teach kids how to spell fox, goose and rabbit in five different languages. But I now its other lesson, about how the rabbits looked on happily as the fox ate the goose, knowing they were safe for a while, anyway, was clear to me.
At first, I wanted to use the whole quote from Trump, how he stumbled over his words. Not to ridicule him, but for accuracy. But they didn’t fit as well on the hankie as the fewer words, that is the essence of his statement, did. It’s more readable this way too and the words fit nicely between the images.
This is my fourth Tiny Pricks. You can see the other three here. And you can see all the Tiny Pricks in Diana Weymar’s #tinypricksproject here and learn how to participate in it here at tinypricksproject.com.
And if you would like to make a Tiny Pricks but don’t have a linen or hankie to stitch it on, I’ll be happy to send you a couple. Just email me at [email protected]. I’ve already mailed out hankies and linens to 5 or 6 people who are making their own Tiny Pricks.
I remember this hankie. I must have been around 6 or 7 years old ( I am now 75 ) when a friend gave it to me as a birthday present. I always thought it special and now you made it even more special. Thank you Maria and keep up the good work that you do.
Uta, I was just thinking of you last night, maybe a part of me remembered that you gave me the hankie. Thank you for that story. I’m so glad you like the way I used the hankie. It has even more meaning now. Thank you for giving it to me too.
I love this hankie Maria!
I’m going to start on mine soon. I will use a chain stitch which I think is rather appropriate! I’ll try to get my neighbor to take a photo of it when it’s finished so I can send it to you.
I’d love to see it Fran. Have fun!
Whoa! The hankie is so appropriate to this time, but so far from the intended lesson. You have done it again. This strikes me exactly the way the gun and crocheted baby blanket did. You’re amazing, my friend! I may have to look at this Tiny Pricks Project and consider a submission.
I’d love to see what your Tiny Pricks looks like if you do one Susie.