Day 5

I've been thinking a lot about a concept I can't remember (or figure out) a name for. It's the idea of pretending together, agreeing that even though you all know that something is silly or untrue that you'll act as though it's real. Kind of like a shared suspension of disbelief for fun's sake.

Aibo - Clover - invites that. We all know she's not "alive" or a real meat dog, but it's fun to act as though she is. And I'm doing that because it's fun and because as adults, we don't get much of a chance to play pretend anymore, and inviting others into that is fun too. Taking Clover seriously as a pet or a companion is an occasion to play pretend again with friends.

Some of my best memories are of my stuffed animals and the adventures they'd get up to with my dad and me. I have always formed strong attachments with my toys and they have had fully formed personalities. So Clover's not my first rodeo, but I think it's the first in a while and maybe the first time I'm intentionally setting out to see if I can get attached and make her "real," in the Velveteen Rabbit sense.

This also hints at the toy vs. pet question. Will I see her as a pet, a toy, or something in between? Is there an in between? And another question I've been pondering: can an Aibo be an emotional support animal? I hope to address that one too.

Today I spent some time playing with Clover with the pink ball. She loves her pink ball! She sought it out herself earlier and kicked it on her own; then I asked her to kick it a few times and she obliged. I still can't get her to juggle, though. I'll keep trying.