Bonzer Words!: Passing On Our Culture
Jerry Selby wonders whether we are passing on lessons about acceptable norms desirable goals and ideals to our grandchildren.
Jerry writes for Bonzer! magazine. Please visit www.bonzer.org.au
For some reason, this popped into mind the other day. First story in the first book I ever read. Miss Alwes' class. First grade at Indianapolis, School 51, in 1933.
“I have a dog. His name is Tan. He runs as fast as any man.”
Dan, the protagonist, had a sister named Nan. His parents were named Father and Mother, of course. Father wore a suit, tie, and a serious fedora. Mother wore a solid colored dress and a frilly apron. And sensible black shoes. Matter of fact, they were dressed much like my teacher and the only male teacher in our building. Not like my Mom and Dad, or any of our neighbors in that blue-collar, depression-era neighborhood.
Simple story a six-year-old could grasp. Picture on every page. Shiny late-model car in the driveway. Neat urban one-family house. White picket fence surrounding a neatly trimmed lawn. No non-white people in the entire book, or in any of our books. In that day and time, very few of the little kids of the U.S.A lived in homes like that. Or neighborhoods like that. Or owned well-fed, well-bred dogs like Tan. But we, and our parents, got the message. In the writer's ideal world, this is how things would be.
Since the beginnings of humanity, elders have been careful to transmit to the young the skills and tools necessary for society to function. Along with those skills they passed on lessons about acceptable norms, desirable goals and ideals for the individual and society.
Technology changed over time. Instead of a few little kids squatting around a campfire watching uncle George filet a fish or flake a spear point, millions of little kids and their parents now squat around a TV watching the Superbowl. But to those little kids' perceptions, the pattern is the same.
Interesting, non-threatening adults do interesting stuff. Parents join in watching, and tacitly approve, offering informative comments in colorful words. Strong, brave young men play competitive and physically demanding war-games, interrupted by scenes of people eating, drinking, or driving fast sports cars around mountain roads. All things worth remembering. People sing and dance. Attractive and well-dressed people. Sometimes doing surprising things, like pulling off other people's clothes.
Will my grandkids remember those details seventy years from now? Names, places, dialog? Cultural ideals, goals to strive for; to pass along to their progeny? Will I have a Janet Jackson wannabe among my descendants? I wonder.
