plastic Happy Meal penguin with infinite wisdom

I am a hoarder. Not one of those people on TV that needs an intervention or anything, but a packrat, nonetheless. I have also raised a trio of children that share my compulsive desire to save everything including, but not limited to, Happy Meal toys. Every once in a blue moon, I am struck with the chuck-it bug (archenemy of the aforementioned packrat) and so it was the other day that I was driven to rid my home of everything non-essential, when I happened upon a plastic Happy Meal penguin that I know I have thrown away before, but with 3 kids, obviously, I must have missed this little sucker. As I threw him into the rubbish, atop some egg shells and wood shavings from the guinea pig's cage, he spoke to me. He said, "Just smile and wave". Weird, I thought. That toy must have been at least 2 years old and I think that since the people at McDonalds don't always invest much time and effort and money into the quality of the Happy Meal toys, this must be a sign. But, whatever, sign or no sign - bye bye penguin. For the rest of the day, everytime I threw anything away into the trash and even as I was throwing the trash bag out the side porch door, I heard the penguin's desperate plee for my attention. Why are you tormenting me plastic penguin, I wondered? But alas, it finally occurred to me that this plastic Happy Meal penguin with infinite wisdom was trying to enlighten me and teach me a valuable lesson! And so here it is: Just smile and wave. Guess what? It actually works! It worked on the cranky customer that didn't want my help in selecting a new sofa this weekend (they didn't buy it, but they smiled and waved back, so - victory!) and I think that it worked on a neighbor that usually doesn't acknowledge me as we pass each other in the 'hood (got a wave back) and best thing ever - it works on the kids. I am sure that they will dull to this latest addition to my forever growing list of defensive tactics that I use to keep tantrums and crankies at bay, but for now, it's all good. They don't know how to react, which is fun, but it also gives me the extra minute that I require to finish washing the dinner dishes from the night before. So, thank you plastic Happy Meal penguin for your gift and may you rest in peace with the Strawberry Shortcake doll with smelly hair, somewhere near the bottom of the trash bin at the transfer station.