Flat Stanley the Gnome Project

[Minneapolis Gnome]

15 Flat Stanley the Gnomes left St. Paul, MN to travel to IUOMA's members homes & are expected to begin arriving TODAY.  Photographs of their travels through Minnesota, North Dakota & Montana will appear on this Project Page as well as any photos/commentary on the project submitted by IUOMA members.  

BREAKING GNEWS ARTICLE

Published 12/2/2019, Gnome Weekly & Quarterly.

“Experimental therapy leads to inside views of paper envelopes for large group of SSS sufferers”

While some firmly believe that a Gnome becoming so rigid as to appear lifeless, even inanimate, is a natural ability Gnomes have developed over time to escape predation & oppression by larger animals & Humans, others blame a condition they call Stalk Still Syndrome (S.S.S.).  S.S.S. is described in the literature as a serious mental health condition with potentially dangerous outcomes which is brought on by lived trauma at the hands of larger animals & Humans or by witnessing a traumatizing event occur to another Gnome.  The danger often involves prolonged periods of exposure to the elements, the almost complete inability to communicate, missing out on life experience & mistreatment by creatures who do not understand that the individual Gnome is indeed a sentient, living being.  This can lead to a lack of empathy for the Gnome or remorse for physically or emotionally damaging the Gnome during an episode of SSS. 

One experimental therapy for SSS is called "Experiential Safe Facilitated Movement", carried out by taking the sufferer on a trip while ensuring the patient's absolute safety & comfort.  Their individual worth, sentient status & individuality is celebrated & affirmed by taking photographs or making artistic renderings of the Gnome in different places they visit & treating them with care and dignity.   

In pursuit of such a positive & possibly transformative experience, Flat Stanley the Gnome began a quiet road trip from MN through Stanley, North Dakota to MT on Saturday, 10/19/2019.  As word of this planned trip spread, an open invitation was made to other SSS sufferers to hitch a ride on the adventure, free of charge.  Requests for pick-ups along the trips' route flooded in from parties concerned about the welfare of individual Gnomes exhibiting signs of S.S.S.  Because many of these parties did not know the names of the individuals they were referring (due to lack of clear verbal communication from the individual Gnomes), Gnomes were referred to by the names of the towns they were picked up from along the route.     

Perceiving a positive benefit of the trip on the travelers, it was agreed that Flat Stanley and his friends should all continue their travel in a freer style & independent manner.  Each Flat Stanley is being provided with a specially designed, environmentally friendly envelope made from post-consumer waste to tuck into which they are free to address to wherever they chose to travel.  If non-communicative, the envelope is being addressed for the individual Gnome.  A private funder has volunteered to pay the postage & they will all set off on their individual journeys from the U.S. post office located in St. Paul, MN later today.  We wish them well!

[Minneapolis Gnome]

That must have been really cool, Joseph.  Stay away from those horse hooves, though!

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

He had a day trip out to the seaside at Halkidiki, too:did some beach combing, put them in the ceramic bowl from Serifos Island:

[Minneapolis Gnome]

We're really happy you're having such an awesome trip, Joseph.  We have to admit that we're feeling a little jealous.  Beach combing is the BEST and you're doing it on an entirely different continent!

[Minneapolis Gnome]

You've traveled so far, Flat Stanley the Gnome Joseph!  You're looking great and we're so proud of you!  Thanks for welcoming him, MomKat!

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

Gnome Joseph is studying the Greek language:

see "democracy" in upper right, and "journalist" and "popular"...

words he wants to say in Greek, ha!

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

and "gnome" in Greek:

(is near "glutinous", too :-)

[Minneapolis Gnome]

Those Greek words look hard to pronounce!  Proud of you, Joseph!  Thanks for giving him such a first rate education, MomKat!

[Minneapolis Gnome]

We are so happy (and so JEALOUS!) for and of Flat Stanley the Gnome Martin!  DUDE!!!! You're on white sandy beaches with seashells, dark blue waters and an AMAZING SKY!  Some Gnomes here at HUGRS only DREAM of getting to be where you've traveled to!  Thanks for the AWESOME UPDATES, The Lone Ant!

[Minneapolis Gnome]

Ohhhhhhh!!!!! COLORS!  Look at all the COLORS!

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

Gnome Joseph has a new friend in Greece...he came from Brent in PA, 

they'll travel around together:

[Minneapolis Gnome]

Brent from PA, we recognize that artist!  He sent some paintings here to Minneapolis a few years ago that we photographed in different spots.  This water color friend looks really nice, what a fun couple of traveling buddies they'll make!