For those of you who may not yet be of the opinion that mass market advertising and the power of internet makes an impact on kids, read on…

Our son Stinky (age 10) has to be the most eclectic child on the planet.  A not so subtle mix of sensitivity and pure gross-ness, this child and his creative mind is a constant source of resigned humor to the Mommies.  Said child has earned the rank of Safety Patrol at his school and therefore must arrive 30 minutes early each morning on alternating months.  So we’re on our way to school this morning, when the following conversation ensues:

Stinky:  “I think we should get a large bag of Toxic Waste.”

Taxi Mom:  “And what exactly would you do with a bag of Toxic Waste?”

Stinky:  “I would jump in it and get some super powers!”

Taxi Mom:  “I think, perhaps, jumping into a bag of Toxic Waste would not give you super powers,” (and now with visions of 1980-something RoboCop movies dancing in my head) “Instead, it would probably peel off all your skin; you would melt and there by be dead.”

Stinky:  “That’d be cool.”  (thoughtful pause)  “Hey Mom…  Do you think a Radioactive Bug would work?”

Taxi Mom:  “Ya, perhaps.  But where do you think we could find a Radioactive Bug?”

Stinky:  On eBay!!!

Once I collected myself from an overwhelming case of laughter, I pictured this child 25 years from now…

• A mad scientist type with a creepy but effective cure for leprosy involving some sort of third world flesh eating entomology he discovered while paddling down the Amazon with his dog; or perhaps
• One of those college Professors that seems all too eccentric but is most certainly the most brilliant individual on the planet, and everyone wants to take his classes so you have to camp out the night before schedules are due to make sure you get in this time; or perhaps he’ll be
• The straight laced type who becomes famous when his now grown children publish in his honor a collection of short stories he used to make up for them when they were kids.

Parents, no matter how much they want to deny it, always have preconceived notions about Who and What their kids will become.  We take this parental pride and add it to the child’s base personality sprinkled with bits of grandiose accomplishment.  We want kids to grow and develop into every ounce of potential instilled in them by The Creator.  That tiny thing we held in our arms years ago had inside of it every wonderful possibility.  All we have to do is try hard not to mess it up; to guide without suppression, to love without dependency, and to release without guilt.

In 1992, my God gave me the first in a series of miraculous gifts.  Each and every day since then has been a glimpse of Deity’s Divine.  Good luck finding that on eBay.

~the laundry goddess, November 7, 2008

A couple of years ago I blogged about M. Night Shyamalan’s movie The Village.  It was a wonderful cinematic effort about intentional communities and the problem with controlling others through fear.  Recently I have seen another movie with an equally riveting ideology, but with different human mistakes.

The City of Ember was released in most major cities last Friday (10-10-08).  The movie is based on a book of the same title by author Jeanne DuPrau.  DuPrau’s premise revolves around a secret underground city set 200+ years into the future after some untold cataclysmic occurrence has basically wiped out life as we know it on the Earth’s surface.  Well, it is presumed Earth, but could be any M class planet. 

The city of Ember was created by The Builders to insure two centuries of life would continue before once again trusting the surface for life support.  But through a series of unfortunate events, the great secret has been lost and now Ember is in dire condition and dying a slow death, unable to support its failing technologies and dwindling food supplies.  Hope comes in the form of two young teens, worried about their future, and uncommonly tenacious in asking the questions The Builders hoped to quell by restricting knowledge.

I learned of this movie through our Emo child, recently turned 14.  She has a passion for fantasy fiction and read this book, along with its companion, The City of Sparks, many years ago.  As I feel I must in many cases, I wanted to read the book before seeing the movie, so said wonderful daughter brought me a copy from the middle school library.  It is a youthful exploration of many adult subjects, and set my mind a’twirling picking apart the black and white of how we as responsible adults make choices about our past and our futures.

Of course, one of my peeves about movies made from books is how Hollywood gets hold of a great concept and then contorts its message in scintillating action and CGI graphics until the original message is hopelessly lost in a mire of adrenaline pumping and mind numbing activity whose only goal is to entertain, not inspire.

I think what I come away with from the exposure here is not so much the travesty of contaminating quality literature with movie style drama, but yet the unforeseeable consequences of people who make choices for other’s lives, even with the best of intentions.

The Builders put a lot of safe guards in place; they thought “they thought of everything.”  What they failed to understand is when you restrict information; you restrict the ability to think as well.  When you teach someone, “that is all there is and nothing more,” most listeners will believe you.  Only the strong will go on to explore and create and ask questions.  And fewer yet will actually DO anything about what transpires in the mind.

To be fully alive we must be taught to think for ourselves, we must be encouraged to probe, to evaluate, to invent, and to continue the process of allowing those who come after us to exceed our expectations.  Holding others to the standards we have of ourselves is nothing more than basic ego run amuck.  To attempt to control another being magnificently born of The Creator, is to second guess the divine intent we will never fully grasp.

As a parent, I am always considering the ramifications of my actions and attitudes on the next generation.  What am I doing through love and concern for their future that may inadvertently cause negative effect for them further down the line?  How am I protecting them now that will limit them later?  And the situation I most want to prepare myself for is the likelihood that any or all of the kids will one day say, “You know that thing (or things) you did?  It was a problem because…”  When that day comes, may I have the inner strength to simply say “I’m sorry” without defensiveness or contrary retort.

Maybe the greatest feat of parenting is not to teach them to keep their elbows off the table or to pick up their socks off the floor, but to aspire to inspire and encourage tolerance and understanding for those things we do not yet comprehend.  And most importantly, respect the rights we all have to make our own choices and indulge the soul an outlet that leads to personal contentment.

I invite you to get your hands on a copy of The City of Ember, and take a day or two enjoying what it felt like as a young person to get lost in an alternative universe.  Of course, you could always opt for the movie version, but you’ll loose a lot of the possibility that lingers only in the mind’s eye.

~ the laundry goddess, October 13, 2008