Nonsense
“I
like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary
ingredient in living, it's a way of looking at life through the wrong
end of a telescope. Which is what I do, and that enables you to laugh
at life's realities.”
Dr.
Suess
I
have a friend, Renae, who lives in Nebraska. She's minister of a
good-sized church, and I'm sure she sees all sides of life, from
birth to death and everything in between. But she's the best “player”
I've ever known. She loves to dress up in all manner of costume, play
roles, and just simply play. And now, she encourages her teen-aged
sons to do the same. I can't think of any better teaching for a
child than to let them know it's okay not to “grow up.” Or at
least, if you have to grow up, take some childhood with you.
I
think one of the reasons John Stewart and Steven Colbert have become
such pop favorites in America is that they carry this playfulness
into the very serious issues of our day. They are the Monty Python of
this new generation. They can, through use of satire and foolishness,
make serious comment on the absurdities of our time. That has been
the role of satire for as long as it has existed.
There
is so much going on in the world that is impossible to understand in
rational terms. Transforming vicious acts and political back-stabbing
into nonsense makes them approachable, while still helping to reveal
their truth. It's not intended to make light of tragedy, it's only to
help us deal with what is simply inconceivable. In some inexplicable
way, fantasy helps us to bear reality.
I
hope today you will find some time for play. That you will dare to be
silly, and lighthearted, and full of laughter. Lord knows, there is
enough darkness to go around. Let's have some light.
In
the Spirit,
Jane
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