Monday, June 13, 2016

The moral of the story

In the eighties when I grew up, I remember reading Enid Blyton books. I enjoyed reading her books. Most of them, probably all of them, had a moral to the story. Something to be learnt. Mostly about manners and being a good friggin' person.

Then there was talk about her books being violent or politically incorrect. What they are, is a reflection of the time they were written. A reflection of the things that used be important, like morals and good manners, using your imagination and good old fashioned fun. Like climbing trees and laying on the grass, imaginary friends, daydreaming and tea parties.

I honestly don't think it would hurt kids of today to read them. I love how an innocent story about a naughty boy, or greedy girl, slowly lulling you in, becomes a just desserts lesson on how not to behave.

Is this what is wrong with the world these days? Have we forgotten about 'the moral of the story' and thrown morals out the window?

If you ask me, it seems people these days are self obsessed, and only concerned about how life affects them. Not about how life affects other people. There is no compassion or empathy. No common decency.

Maybe this is because we become desensitised, with bad news bombarding us from all directions. Good news stories barely get a look in with celebrity drama, murder, rape, violence, the modern day patheticness of politics and god know what else, assaulting our ear drums. We cower in denial of what is going on, we become numb. I know I do.

Especially when it comes to children. My soul shrinks a little bit when I hear that shit. It just shouldn't happen. I want to bury my head in the sand, concrete even. La la la, I don't want to hear it, but it's there, it's too late, my ears can't erase it. The scenes fill my brain, sadden my soul.

I don't know what to do, how to help.

All I can do is make sure I try to teach my kids to respect and treat all people the same. To use their manners and have tolerance for people who are different.

We all start out that way really, then are influenced from the people around us. Morals are learnt, as are the ethics to guide our morality. On the flip side intolerance, disrespect and prejudice are also learnt.

The homophobic parent passing negative comment on the gay couple holding hands in the supermarket.

The uncle telling racist jokes and making derogatory remarks about a race.

The father mentally abusing his wife in front of her children.

We all hold ideas, scars, that came to us after we came into the world, not knowing prejudice or maliciousness. Some of us cope better than others to the wily ways of the world. Me, I don't cope well. Maybe I read too many morally correct books when I was a kid. Maybe I grew up thinking the world was a nicer place than it is and was expecting too much.

In an ideal world, we would all be compassionate, judgeless, tolerant. But we are not living in an ideal world. It's crap. So we have to try to be more than crappy to make a difference.





11 comments:

  1. I agree with you Alicia.
    And with regards to the Enid issue, before they re-hashed her writing, I made sure I collected a huge range of her novels before they vanished. My kids love my 'pure' Enid collection now. I will never part with them.

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  2. I still have all my Enid Blyton books. I used to love them as a child.

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  3. I agree with you (though my kids avoid Enid Blyton like the plague - not racey enough). However, as to thinking we have to start the change - 100% with you. We can do better, we must do better and it starts with you! (me)

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  4. I think I like to bury my head in the sand about the bad in the world and pretend that it is all rosy. It is sad the state of society today. I guess the best anyone can do is teach their children right and wrong, respect and caring. We enjoyed reading Enid Blyton too.

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  5. I know. I am beside myself when reports about senseless murders, rapes, attacks come on especially when there are children involved. I can't stomach it. The dose of fear it puts into me is overwhelming. The world can be so shit. I hardly think Enid Blyton books create such horrendous problems. I think they have a lot to offer.

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  6. I have no motivation to get anything done today despite the fact I have 19 pages of a website so write by Thursday, I blame not just my slackness but another preventable shooting. LOVE Enid - I got some 2nd hand copies for the kids at a car boot sale recently x

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  7. I love Enid Blyton, and used to eat up all her Secret Seven books! I spent my childhood with my head in a book, and I think most of my morals came from them. C.S. Lewis, Alan Garner, Susan Cooper, Madeleine L'Engle were my faves. They taught me a lot. And, they all seem like old friends still. I do despair at the state of the world sometimes. But, as a primary school teacher of young children, I also see so many compassionate, kind, loving, and caring children who really want to do something good. I still have lots of hope. So glad to find your blog! Linda. xox

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  8. I totally agree with you and you said it so well.
    I loved my Enid Blyton books as a child. What carefree times they were....

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  9. It starts at home and probably before the child is born. The ways in which we interact ourselves as adults is picked up so acutely by kids. I think the world has changed because of social media and news reporting 24/7 and the general societal views that are skewing us to one way or another - often extremes. There is less family connectedness in terms of time and sharing because of ...money, job security and more. Schools do their best I know but I also know that there is a growing sense of 'me-ism' coming into the classrooms and that's the parents! I would not like to be leading a school any more....sad to say.

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  10. I have started buying the "old" Enid Blyton books from my childhood, from secondhand and antique stores (WTF) ... classics. Part of the magic of childhood.

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