Once upon a time at a college there was a mascot. The mascot was a pretty good performer, had previous experience at a local theme park, and this was his first year as the school mascot.

At the same college, there was also a freshman who loved mascots. He wanted to be one, and he found out who the mascot was and called him up. The mascot was helpful and told him how he'd gotten the job, and how to gain more experience. Then the kid started asking more questions, and kept calling the mascot. Not a week would go by without the kid calling him. He didn't really have much to say, but he just wanted to be liked. He didn't think how much he was bugging the mascot.

That spring, the kid auditioned for the mascot job, against the mascot himself. Of course, having no experience, he lost out to the returning mascot. The next year the kid lost some interest, didn't call the mascot as much, and got involved in other school clubs. That Spring he still auditioned for the mascot, since his idol was graduating, but he lost out to some more popular guy. The kid stopped by the graduating mascot's fraternity to say goodbye, and the guy was cordial and encouraging, but had this derogatory caricature of the kid on his wall.

“Did I really bug this guy so much that even a year later he has this drawing of me on his wall?” he thought to himself. He didn't say anything to the mascot, just thanked him for being patient with him, said goodbye and never looked back.

Several years later, the kid went on to do professional mascot work on his own, and he got his own following of fans. He tries to be patient with each one, and tells them to be patient with him in his busy life. He hopes they will learn from his own story that even though someone may be your “idol”, they still have feelings and their own life to live.

– = Jimmy Chin | yippeecoyote@yahoo.com | 37.47934 N / 121.87680 W = Cartoonist/Charter Fursuiter/Freelance Mascot (will cheer for food) = “Who's the brain who concocted such hairball schemes?” -J.Luxury