Did you guys know about that? The fact that Foster’s last episode has come around, entitled ‘Goodbye to Bloo’? I only found out about it recently, and holy crap was it depressing. I haven’t had cable television in awhile now due to moving around a lot and not actually owning a proper TV at the moment, but whenever I had cable I had Cartoon Network on the TV. I was paying for the whole package, but that was the only channel I actually watched. I’m a cartoon fiend. It’s purely fun television, you can just sit back and smile. It also makes good white noise when you’re getting other things done, I’ve found.

Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends is one of the few cartoons (American/English cartoons, not anime) that truly and honestly pulled me in, though. It was one of the few happy-go-lucky cartoons that genuinely made you feel good, and it wasn’t just for kids. It was one of those cartoons that aims for a middle ground – you have your wacky, whimsical humor for the kids, and there are underlying jokes that won’t click until you’re a little older. The creators don’t treat kids like they’re dumb, and they don’t pretend adults can’t have a little fun, either. It was a legitimately good time.

One of the things I took out of Foster’s is that you should absolutely never let go of your dream. Growing up doesn’t mean you need to cast off your imagination. You never need to stop. There are things in life you will need to face growing up, but none of it should ever take away your sense of wonder and imagination. It’s a really odd thing to say about a cartoon, but it was actually quite inspirational to me!

I have my old, grouchy moments, but I’m the kind of person that absolutely does not want to grow up in the ‘traditional’ sense. I don’t want to sit in some middle management position again. I love what I do right now, and while it may not last forever, I don’t want to stop being creative. I want to create, I want to imagine. I want to make others happy through that. I want to make people laugh, and I want to make people smile. Foster’s always did that for me, and it made me feel that my outlook on life wasn’t nonsense. I could keep dreaming. I could keep imagining.

Now, I won’t be too melodramatic and say something silly like, “Apparently even imagination comes to an end eventually.” That would be… bleak, and it’s certainly not the case, nor the message that the show carried. It’s television. Everything comes to an end on television. That’s just how it works. Shows comes, and shows go. Foster’s had a successful run, it didn’t crash and burn. It is, in fact, proof that embracing your imagination can be fruitful. It was a beautiful show. Still, it’s depressing to think of Foster’s as over. It just saddens me that once I get Cartoon Network on my TV again, I’ll never see another new episode.

There will be no more crazy schemes from Bloo, no more wacky hijinks from Madame Foster, no more uptight bunnies dressed as butlers. This makes me very sad, surprisingly so. I did not think a simple cartoon could have such a substantial impact on me, but it does. I’m going to be investing in the DVDs as soon as I have some extra cash, I think.

/salute Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends