or… How Gustav Met his Demise.
If you’d like to trace the history of Gustav and his presence at BFA, here’s a synopsis (skip past the italics to get right to the good stuff):
When I arrived at BFA, I found this odd statue-man with a pretzel on his cap sitting outside the dumpster; I rescued him and put him outside my office. I found out later that some middle school students had won him in a game of bigger or better, but over the summer the school didn’t know what to do with the monstrosity so they decided to throw him away. After putting him outside my office, I decided to give him a name, so I put signs on him. Students made suggestions, then voted from a list. The name Gustav ze Brezel Boy won.
Gustav was very involved during his first year. I started using him for signage, and students started using his goblet as a coin holder. Gustav really got into the Christmas spirit that first year, gradually accumulating more as the season progressed. The orchestra even had a spirit day with matching hats. He advertised the Christmas Concert, though I think Marit’s posters this year have been much more effective.
Gustav’s second year was just plain weird. He gained a straw hat and ate a grasshopper. Gustav lightened up in his third year, celebrating my birthday. Some began to question his cleanliness. I defended him, feeling somewhat sorry for him. In the fourth year, he celebrated Emily’s birthday. This did not help his stance with the nurse’s office.
He has been a stable presence outside my office for 4 years now. Most are creeped out when they see his leering grin, but others have grown attached to him. When asked what I would do with him, I really did not know. Then Kristi had a suggestion that I really liked. I’ll let the pictures tell the story, but let me first say: If you have to leave something behind, destroying it in an epic way can be a way of making the most of what could otherwise be sad. Disclaimer: I wouldn’t recommend doing this with living things. Second disclaimer: These images are not for the faint of heart.
Goodbye, Gustav! You made a great campfire! You were creepy in life and in death!
