The Pest I Still Remember

This is an illustration by Louis Darling, from the Beverly Clearly book, “Ramona the Pest.” I read the entire collection of Ramona Quimby at a very young age. “Ramona the Pest” was by far, my favorite one.

I saw this image and in a flash I recalled things I hadn’t thought about in a long time. I was nine years old or so when I first saw this picture of Ramona determinedly coasting down a hill with her new dress wildly flapping behind her. She was leaning as far left as she could to keep from falling over, since she had decided it was time she rode a two wheeler – and that meant unscrewing a training wheel herself. Her boy companion, left behind with the derelict wheel in hand.

Ramona, like myself at that age, was especially self assured. She was confident, hilariously mischievous, and was emphatically curious, to the point that she was an exceptional brat, particularly with her big sister, Beatrice – a trait I could easily relate to with my own three big sisters. Curious to ride a two wheeler like her older sister (as pestering as she was to Beatrice AKA Beezus, Ramona always looked up to her big sister), Ramona used her friend’s tools, being used to tighten the wheel, and simply loosened the wheel until it came right off. And then shot off down the street as fast as she could. She figured if she could ride the wheels on the left side, while leaning her body the opposite side, she could pull it off. And, she did.

It made me smile to think how reading all about Ramona’s shenanigans still to this day makes an impact on me. More so, what an impact it made on my growing curiosity and imagination as a child. Even though it’s been a couple of decades, I can remember how I felt reading this story, and could even relate to Ramona’s rail-thin frame, and short, black hair. My mom often called me her little shrimp, because I really didn’t grow until I hit high school. I was really so small that I could shop in the Junior’s section at Macy’s long after my schoolmates had moved onto Adult.

Nostalgic, reminiscent and random thoughts like this always make me appreciate the wonderful childhood I was given, and remind me to work to give that sort of outlet for imagination to my future children.

Ramona dressed up as a witch and chasing neighborhood kids. Happy Halloween.