Inger was born in 1942 and is 81 years old. She contacted us because she wanted to order a doll as a 1st birthday present for her great-granddaughter Sally. During our email exchange, I realized what a wise role model Inger is, and I couldn't help but ask if she would like to be interviewed by us.
Here is Inger's story!
Why did you choose to buy a doll from Watoto?
Diversity, eco-friendliness, and inclusivity are so wonderful; those are things I want to talk to Sally about when she gets a little older. For now, one has to try to show what is important through actions.
Today, individualism and the self have become so important. I miss humanism, generosity, and solidarity. That is what I want to pass on to Sally.
Why did you choose for the doll to be stuffed with wool?
I chose wool because I prefer natural materials and I know that much of the Swedish wool never gets used. I also know that my generation wasted resources, and I try to live as rightly as possible now.
"Sally is the one who makes me want to keep going a little while longer. I want her to understand that there are very old people, too."
Tell us a little about your childhood; what toys did you play with?
I don't remember much from my own childhood, but we often made our own toys. Pinecones, sticks, and stones could represent almost anything. I remember a friend and I putting headscarves on carrots and pretending they were dolls that got to have a bath under the yard pump. My nice doll had a ceramic head and a cloth body, but it couldn't handle baths.
When I got a little older, I liked books. Pippi, Kajsa Kavat, and Pelle Svanslös, among others.
What toys did your own children play with?
I had my sons at age 23 and 25, in 1965 and 1967. By then, there were many toys to buy. Cars, of course, metal scale models (I tried each of them with a doll, which never gained any appreciation), but above all Duplo, Lego, and books. We lived in a residential area with many children, and there was a lot of outdoor play. We mothers took turns looking after everyone's children, and if the weather was bad, they got to play indoors in most homes. I was a "housewife" for 13 years, and back then a family could live on one salary—the best years of my life. Though it was also great fun to enter the workforce again!
It feels like I got to live in the best era, and now I get very happy when I meet someone who tries to strive against the bad.
Happiness and prosperity!
Great-grandmother