Wisdom of an Imaginary Friend by Meriel

Wisdom of an Imaginary Friend by Meriel - April 2014 Scholarship Essay

When I picked out a book for my birthday, Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend seemed like a cute little story about an autistic 8-year-old and his imaginary friend, but by the end, I was in tears, both happy and sad. As horrible as it might sound, the story is actually about love, sacrifice and facing the possibility of death. These subjects are cleverly explored from the less terrifying perspective of an imaginary friend.

Budo has been Max's imaginary friend for several years, so he is considered ancient because most kids forget about their imaginary friends within a few weeks. He has pondered about what happens after he ceases to exist and he has seen the demise of countless imaginary friends, yet he has never truly faced the fact that one day he will end up in the same place.

When Max's insane teacher kidnaps him, Budo realizes that the only way to get Max back to his family is to make him grow up and think for himself, which he knows will directly threaten his entire existence. Of course, Budo is fearful of "nonexistence" and its uncertainty, but he couldn't possibly abandon the child who brought him into existence and whom he loves more than anything.

As he's scrambling around town trying to find someone who can help him save Max, Budo encounters Oswald, an intimidating imaginary friend whose creator is in a coma in the hospital. Oswald knows that if his person dies, then he will too, but he is not fearful in the slightest. He explains to Budo that if there is nothing, then he won't know because he will not exist, but if there is something, then something is better than nothing.

Sorry to ruin the ending, but ultimately, Oswald disappears along with his person, but together they bring Max back to his family. Budo could not have had a more peaceful and willing transition into nonexistence because he knew that Max was finally safe. When he silently slips from the human world, all his fear has subsided and he is completely content with whatever awaits him.

Matthew Dicks ingeniously disguised this universal struggle of fear of the unknown through the eyes of an imaginary friend, but the message is unmistakable. Like Budo, most people are afraid of the unknown, so they don't want to die because they can't begin to fathom what death might hold. It may seem morbid to cover the theme of death with a children's book, but the deeper meaning is such a hopeful one, regardless of what anyone believes will happen after death. Budo proved that as long as we keep sight of what's important, there is absolutely nothing to be afraid of once we die. It is pointless to fear the inevitable. Budo has convinced me that death is nothing to fear in the first place because it's just an anonymous adventure.