On giraffes (finally)

It’s time to explain the somewhat peculiar title of this blog.

The digression-part should not come as a surprise if you have read anything here. If you haven’t, please do so. You will get the idea quickly enough, trust me. However, the giraffe-part may demand more of an explanation.

Giraffability is, as you might have figured out (especially if you know me), a word I made up. I suppose it’s kind of self-explanatory (if not, I’d be happy to conjure up an etymology for it), but why I feel attached enough to giraffes to use it as a title of my blog might be less obvious. (Again, people who know me will know this. Consider this post a public notice to any potential readers I don’t yet know, plus an excuse to bring giraffes into the mix.)

Giraffes and I go way back. I don’t keep track, but I do suspect we’ve passed the ten-year anniversary. Sometime when I was still young and naïve (I know, that could be yesterday…) I started sketching “stick-figure” giraffes.

Eventually, I named them. As you can see from the picture, the one on the left is Flinkesen (Cleverson), while the one on the right is Vakresen (Prettyson). They live in Giraffenland, a friendly place where lots of animals get along just fine (mostly because the crocodile, Snillesen [Friendlyson], is a vegetarian).

I won’t get into details (there are details), but the point is that the giraffe-thing stuck with me. My friends and family all learned about it and consequently I’ve received gifts in the shape of giraffes for years. Pencils, rubbers, coffee mugs, stuffed plush giraffes, salad utensils, picture frames, handbags, magnets, key chains, earrings, diaries – the list goes on and on.

In addition to this, I’ve kept on sketching (sadly I never get better – only faster). I sign postcards with giraffes (sometimes without actually writing anything), I’ve signed clothes (for non-Norwegians, remind me to explain the concept of “russetid” sometime), I’ve put them on book covers, pencil cases, on post-its, in my text-books, in snow, in sand, on windows … It’s like a trademark.

Thus, my obsession for giraffes has become something people remember about me, something my friends have come to consider a part of who I am. I couldn’t not include that in my blog (though some might say I’ve gone overboard).

That should explain the title of the blog, and it should explain the fact that you cannot press "interesting", "cool" or "I hate it" as a reaction to any of my posts - the only allowed reaction to this silly nutcase is "giraffy" (this post should get plenty...)

However, as it turns out, I’m not the only one with a giraffy obsession.

Thus, to complete this post, I’d like to recommend an amazing website you all should visit and bookmark: www.onemilliongiraffes.com/

To collect one million hand-made giraffes from all around the world wasn’t my idea (even though I wish it had been. However, I believe initiator Ola does a much better job than I would in managing it, so I’m not weeping… In fact, he does such a great job that I have developed a something of a crush on the aforementioned Ola for the idea and development of this project. Shhh – don’t tell him!) You can find the giraffes from this post – plus many, many more – and of course read more about the project on his website. I highly recommend participating – it will only cost you a few minutes, and it feels great to be part of “the best thing on the Internet this year”.