2003-08-10 - 10:59 p.m. The Astonishing Name of the Gump Gumphood. It�s a strange name. I think it fits. Such an odd and unique name. But what is it? Where did I come from? And why do you use it? What it means to me in three fold. First its definitional meaning I very much like. Second, the story of the Gump is a story that I very much like. Third, it was a dream I had. Confused. You should be. I will start with the definitional meaning of the name Gump, which I very much like. Your spontaneous expression stands you in good stead during arguments or debates, though you are perhaps too outspoken and inclined to sarcasm. A very real weakness of this name is lack of system and order. The use of this name makes it extremely difficult to carry through and finish the things you start. It is easy to make promises in an effort to make others happy, although not so easy to keep them. You spend your money frugally, often reckoning whether you can afford to be so generous. The use of this name can cause weak knees, a strong desire for such foods as sweets or pickles, which causes skin or liver troubles, and a desire to eat too quickly. Hmmm. Diaryland, spelling, liver problems. Yep. Nailed me. The second part is much more magical. There was a book and movie that came out. The Movie was called Return to Oz, which was the squeal to The Wizard of Oz, both written by Lyman Frank Baum. The author�s book was called �The Wonderful World of Oz.� In the story there was this creature called �The Gump� which was just a head. Gump�s head was tied to junk and forged into this flying machine to transport Dorthy and her group to escape the house of a witch name Mombe. The Gump, before his death, was a noble beast in the land of Oz, but died. He head was mounted on the wall, but he was given a second chance. He was transformed into this wonderful flying creature. He transcended into the beast who�s second life was one of generosity and flight. He was allowed to soar over the earth. Such a noble beast. The Gump represents the idea of becoming something bigger than you are in your normal life. He no longer walked with the normal people. He became something that could fly. Here is a part of the story from the book. The Astonishing Flight of the Gump Dorothy had taken from its position over the mantle-piece in the great hallway the head of a Gump, which was adorned with wide-spreading antlers; and this, with great care and greater difficulty, the insect had carried up the stairs to the roof. This Gump resembled an Elk's head, only the nose turned upward in a saucy manner and there were whiskers upon its chin, like those of a billy-goat. Tick Tok, with the aid of the Jack, had brought a large, upholstered sofa to the roof. It was an old fashioned piece of furniture, with high back and ends, and it was so heavy that even by resting the greatest weight upon the back of the Jack, the boy found himself out of breath when at last the clumsy sofa was dumped upon the roof. "Well, if friend Tick can manufacture, from this mess of rubbish, we could create a Thing, a Gump, that will fly through the air and carry us to safety, then I will acknowledge him to be a better mechanic than I suspected." But then Tick seemed at first by no means sure of his powers, and only after polishing his forehead vigorously with the chamois-leather did he resolve to undertake the task. "The first thing required for the machine," said he, "is a body big enough to carry the entire party. This sofa is the biggest thing we have, and might be used for a body. But, should the machine ever Tick sideways, we would all slide off and fall to the ground." "Why not use two sofas?" asked Jack. "There's another one just like this down stairs." "That is a very sensible suggestion," exclaimed the Tick. "You must fetch the other sofa at once." Very carefully he began sprinkling the Thing with the precious powder. Each of the four wings was first lightly covered with a layer. then the sofas were sprinkled, and the broom given a slight coating. "The head! The head! Don't, I beg of you, forget the head!" cried Dorothy, excitedly. "There's only a little of the powder left," announced Jack, looking within the box." And it seems to me it is more important to bring the legs of the sofas to life than the head." "Not so," decided the Tick. "Every thing must have a head to direct it; and since this creature is to fly, and not walk, it is really unimportant whether its legs are alive or not." So Jack abided by this decision and sprinkled the Gump's head with the remainder of the powder. It was now that the wisdom of Dorothy, in bringing the head of the Thing to life instead of the legs, was proved beyond a doubt. For the Gump, when he came to life became scared and took to the air. Tick cried for it to come back, and it heard. Gump, already high in the air, turned its head at Tick's command and gradually circled around until it could view the roof of the palace. "This," said the Gump, in a squeaky voice not at all proportioned to the size of its great body, "is the most novel experience I ever heard of. The last thing I remember distinctly is walking through the forest and hearing a loud noise. Something probably killed me then, and it certainly ought to have been the end of me. Yet here I am, alive again, with four monstrous wings and a body which I venture to say would make any respectable animal or fowl weep with shame to own. What does it all mean? Am I a Gump, or am I a juggernaut?" The creature, as it spoke, wiggled its chin whiskers in a very comical manner. "You're just a Thing," answered Tick, "with a Gump's head on it. And we have made you and brought you to life so that you may carry us through the air wherever we wish to go." "Very good!" said the Thing. "As I am not a Gump, I cannot have a Gump's pride or independent spirit. So I may as well become your servant as anything else. My only satisfaction is that I do not seem to have a very strong constitution, and am not likely to live long in a state of slavery." "Don't say that, I beg of you!" cried Dorothy, whose excellent heart was strongly affected by this sad speech." Are you not feeling well today?" "Oh, as for that," returned the Gump, "it is my first day of existence; so I cannot Judge whether I am feeling well or ill." And it waved its broom tail to and fro in a pensive manner. "Come, come!" said Jack, kindly. "do try, to be more cheerful and take life as you find it. We shall be kind masters, and will strive to render your existence as pleasant as possible. Are you willing to carry us through the air wherever we wish to go?" �I will take you to where ever your eyes can see and for how ever long my wings will fly,� answered the Gump, �I will soar until there is no more air to sail on. I greatly prefer to navigate the air. For should I travel on the earth and meet with one of my own species, my embarrassment would be something awful!" The Gump was always my favorite. So much so I dreamed of him. He came to me in a dream and we were flying. It was like when the boy was on the Lucky Dragon�s back in the never ending story. *sidenote* I was 14 when I had this dream, right at the beginning of the internet. When I woke up that morning after the dream I played my first online game, called Empire Delux (1993), and it asked me for my name. I put in General Gump Hood. And that has been the alias ever since *end sidenote* In my dream, The Gump was talking to me and telling me how fun it was to fly. So I asked him what he did before her flew. He replied to me, �I was just a Gump�s head in a hallway, not moving and just trapped in a mansion,� But then he said, �Now I am a Gump�s Hood.� Confused I asked, �What�s a Gump Hood?� And he said, �It�s something that flies after it dies.� And then, confused and exhausted, I woke up.  | |||||||||||
