Discovered Punch the Monkey

The whole Punch Monkey and his stuffy remind me of when abused children grow up and are tossed out in the world (Clearly Punch was not abused by his zookeepers, but he was disconnected from his troop and then reintroduced). Punch clinging to the stuffy alone is the security of the past in a scary world where there are no bonds with people from no history. Who is trustworthy, who is just using you, who is bullying you, and who is kind enough to give them a chance? Abused children learned unhealthy habits to survive, but don't serve them well when they reach adulthood and are on their own, navigating jobs and finding housing when lacking the social graces people expect. Then comes the first touch, the first kind word of someone feeling sorry for you, to react with fear. Do they trust this person not to hurt them, as so many have done in the past? Then comes another kind person, and bonding begins, learning who to trust. Then acceptance and friendships form, life partners are found, and the abused child heals inside the loved adult who learned from the past but moves on from it.