The Unintentional Life Lessons Learned from My Childhood Pet Rock




The Unintentional Life Lessons Learned from My Childhood Pet Rock


Okay, let’s be real. We’ve all had those moments where we look back on our childhood and cringe. Maybe it was an unfortunate fashion choice (neon windbreakers, anyone?), a questionable taste in music (I’m looking at you, Vanilla Ice), or… a pet rock.

The Day Rocky Rolled In

Yes, you read that right. A pet rock. His name? Rocky, naturally. I was eight, obsessed with all things shiny and sparkly, and somehow convinced my parents that a plain, gray rock from the backyard was the coolest thing since sliced bread. To be fair, I did decorate him with googly eyes and drew him a tiny, lopsided smile.

Rocky a little cardboard box house, complete with a cotton ball bed. Looking back, I’m pretty sure they were secretly hoping I’d lose interest in a week. Spoiler alert: they underestimated my dedication to this inanimate friend.

Responsibility Rocks (Pun Intended)

Now, you might be thinking, “What kind of responsibility comes with a pet rock?” Surprisingly, quite a bit. At least, that’s what my eight-year-old self believed. I took Rocky everywhere with me. I even snuck him into school a few times (sorry, Mom!).

Every night, I diligently “fed” him imaginary rock food and “changed” his nonexistent water. I even wrote down his daily activities in a special “Rocky Journal.”