Flat Tyler

I am a budding travel agent. At least, my sister thinks so.

Last weekend, she handed me a big manilla envelope and a request to help launch her seven-year-old son on an incredible journey via the postal service.

Inside the envelope I found a flat, laminated version of Tyler folded up along with a travel journal and instructions.

Tyler and his second-grade classmates have each made cartoon portraits of themselves to mirror the silly children's story called "Flat Stanley," about a boy who is flattened by a giant chalkboard.

Like Flat Stanley, each student hopes his/her Flat Self will travel many places for visits with family and friends. There, hosts will date the journal, write a bit about themselves, their place of residence, and the stay with them.


I love a good story, travel and kids. So, I agreed to play along.



Last Tuesday, as the storm of the century began to brew,
Flat Tyler went to the hair salon with Aunt Wendy.

"Flat Stanley!"

exclaimed a stylist
when I pulled him out
for a quick picture.

I grinned,

"Actually,
this is my nephew,
Flat Tyler!"

Later at the Brainerd Lakes
Area Chamber of Commerce,
the receptionist said,

"We get a lot of Flat Stanleys here.
Take him outside
for a photo with Paul Bunyan.
But you'll have to
hang onto him in this wind!"

All night long,
the hurricane-like winds roared,

whipping trees,
flicking the power on and off,
and finally delivering the year's first snow.

For this photo,
I capped "Flat Tyler" against the cold!

By Halloween,
conditions were fine enough

for Flat Tyler
to stand outside

next to Noah's pumpkin
for a portrait.

Time is ticking. Flat Tyler is due to travel soon.

Today I'm working on
his 11-stop travel itinerary
by contacting family and friends.

We'd like to launch him
across the states
and maybe even over the seas
during his October-March journey.

Who knows? Flat Tyler may visit you too!