Grimace-inducing memories

Mom was cleaning up some of the cabinets in the house. She found this and immediately knew that this was mine.

It's a Grimace stuffed toy!

Grimace is very memorable and is an indelible part of my teen years. When I was 17 years old and working at McDonald's, they'd sometimes ask me to wear the Grimace costume and perform the "Wiggle, Wiggle" dance during kiddie parties.

While it was fun and I'd get a kick out of it, the whole process was difficult because I had to bend my knees to make Grimace look short and stubby. As a character, he's supposed to be stubby, and I was 5'10", so a tall Grimace just wouldn't cut it.

Thus, I'd spend about 15 minutes with knees bent, dancing to the delight of kids. It was difficult, yes, but hearing the kids laughing and cheering always made the discomfort worth it.

And that's why Grimace is very memorable.

And that's why I still have this Grimace toy with me.