Talk to the Animals

Donnie is lost in his own little world.  Somewhere he got lost in the fantasy world of Dr. Doolittle.  If you were to ask him what he wants to be when he grows up, he would tell you that he wants to be able to talk to the animals.  There are 200 homeless who sleep at the Casa Esperanza.  Donnie is the only one who has over 100 little blue Christmas lights twinkling from his bunk bed.  Some people have told him that he should take his lights down but he insists that he is decorating for Easter.  When Donnie goes to bed at night, he first thanks God as he counts his blessings with each little blue light he looks at.  After he is done with his prayers, Donnie joins Jiminy Cricket by singing "When you wish upon a star"!  Again, he looks at each twinkling star in the blue sky and makes a wish.

When Donnie wakes up in the morning and makes his bed, he is very precise about where his stuffed animals are placed.  First, in the center of the bed in front of his black satin pillow, Donnie places his green sea turle.  Taking a ride on the turtle like he were riding horseback is his stuffed little red monkey.  On the left at a 45 degree again facing left is his Beanie Baby Ostrich.  Wedged between the ostrich and the sea turtle is the grey elephant Donnie got at the Santa Barbara zoo.  If you squeeze him, he makes elephant noises.  On the right of the turtle facing a 45 degree angle looking right is his stuffed black killer whale.  Wedged in between the sea turtle and the whale is a strange unidentifable animal named Bandit.  Bandit was given to Donnie by his friend Marlin.  Next to the killer whale, you will find the Walt Disney character Chip.  One of Donnie's wishes at night is that we can find Dale to complete the Chip and Dale duo.  The last placement is a tiny flash drive of the turtle from Finding Nemo.  He is placed on the back of the big stuffed green sea turtle in the lap of the stuffed red monkey.

This may not be the world of Dr. Doolitlle but it is the world of Donnie.