Send it to Zoom

 The year was 1999. My older sister and I were both big fans of a show on the PBS Kids network called “Zoom.” Basically the program involved kids ages 8-13 playing games, creating art, making recipes, acting out short plays and conducting science experiments. Everything they performed on the show were ideas sent in by viewers. At the end of each half hour show, the group of seven kids would perform a catchy tune/rap that encouraged viewers to send in their ideas. The show’s address and email was even embedded into the song as a way for kids to easily memorize it. As a result, I still have their address memorized completely to this day and will not forget the Boston zip code anytime soon, “ 02134! Send it to Zoom!!”

After a few months of consistently watching Zoom, me and my sister decided we were going to send in our own ideas, hoping they would get on the show! I think my sister sent in some kind of a game but I don’t remember exactly what it was. My idea on the other hand was a craft. I’m not sure if I came up with the idea to send this on my own or if my sister helped me. But my craft idea I sent in was a homemade tooth pillow. When I lost my first tooth my mom helped me make a shiny blue heart shaped pillow with a small red pocket to secure my tooth while I awaited the tooth fairy’s visit. I thought other kids would like to make a pillow for their lost baby tooth as well. So that seemed like the perfect thing to send to Zoom. Since I was only 6 or 7 years old and couldn’t write very well yet, my sister wrote my letter for me. After our letters were complete, we sealed them up and sent them to Zoom! We were sure our ideas would get on the show and we would become famous.

For weeks after our letters were sent, my sister and I anxiously watched Zoom everyday in hopes that our ideas would be included on the show, not realizing the show was pre taped months ago and if we were going to get on, it wouldn’t be until the next season. But long story short, neither of our ideas ever appeared on the show. This was a disappointing outcome for seven year old me. But looking back on it now, I can see why they didn’t make my tooth pillow. It was a pretty complicated, tedious project that involved lots of sewing, which my mom did for me. I can’t imagine most 11 or 12 year olds would know how to sew at all, let alone make something big like a pillow. I don’t even think I could make something like that today at 31 years of age! I definitely could have come up with something better to send. But either way it was still a lot of fun to write and send the letters to Zoom!