Theodor Seuss Geisel wrote "Horton Hears a Who!" as a political parable and protest of the post war, American occupation of Japan. Saintly Horton (notice even his ears are drawn to look like angels wings) is the story of an elephant named Horton who hears someone calling to him from a tiny speck of dust. This little speck turns out to be a planet and home to the Who's ( busy little beings in their own tiny little world). In trying to save them, Horton is ridiculed by the other animals in the jungle because he believes in something that cannot be seen. Horton repeats the line "A person's a person, no matter how small" through out the story.
“Theodor Seuss Geisel (1904-1991), the man known to the world as the famous
Dr. Seuss, was an enigma. Both an idealist and a curmudgeon, Geisel spent much
of his life trying to improve a society he knew was inherently flawed. He had a keen eye for hypocrites, bullies and demagogues, and ridiculed them whenever he got the chance. He was a man of strong opinions and deep convictions,…”
Drawing a line from you to Ted Geisel may not be fair or even accurate, however, he "struggled to remain hopeful in spite of the "dissemination of stupidity" he saw all around him." and he had "strong opinions and deep convictions...". That's you! The first time we had a conversation about quantum physics I thought of Horton and those tiny Who's and wondered if Dr. Seuss had any notion of electrons, protons, and neutrons. I don't think he did, and neither did I until you uncovered that tiny world to me.
Whatever the depths to which you need to "withdraw to a safe place and rant against the staus quo" please continue to remind people, from time to time, that you are still here. Whether by a tiny Who-like 'Yop' or a grandiloquent Welch like speech, the world needs to hear you.
Happy Birthday, Dave!
No comments:
Post a Comment