Everything I Really Need to Know, I Learned from...

 It has been a running joke in my family that we “kids” (adults now, but we’ll always be the “kids” to our parents) can quote just about any Disney movie from our formative years at length.  This includes a LOT of Winnie the Pooh.  My dad is known to lament our lack of knowledge of “the greats” like Shakespeare, in such depth…  To which I respond:  “Life’s but a walking shadow – a poor player who struts and frets his hour on the stage and then is heard no more” (“Macbeth”, Act 5 Scene 5).  In other words:  Life is short.  Let us get our enjoyment where we can!

Give us a lead in, and we’ll give you a quote. My sister-in-law is a self-proclaimed Disney addict, so now, it’s even more true.  Disney has a life lesson for just about every situation.  It’s true, some of the older Disney animated classics are “problematic” when viewed through the lens of our modern world, but that doesn’t mean the life lessons and core values are any less meaningful.

Some examples:

Jiminy Cricket from Pinocchio – “Let your conscience be your guide.”

Dumbo – Be accepting of those who are different from you.

Thumper from Bambi – “If you can’t say somethin’ nice, don’t say nothin’ at all.”

Cinderella – “I know it isn’t easy, but we should all at least try to get along with one other.”

Alice in Wonderland – “‘Be patient,’ is very good advice, but the waiting makes me curious.”

Peter Pan – “Sooner or later … people have to grow up.”

Sleeping Beauty – Perseverance in the face of adversity and evil.

One Hundred and One Dalmatians – Taking charge of a situation. – “The humans have tried everything, now it’s up to us dogs.”

The Aristocats – Not judging based solely on first appearances

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh – Acceptance of people as they are (Rabbit accepting Tigger for who he is) and the importance of loyalty

Beauty and the Beast – Looking beyond someone’s outward appearance to the person they are inside

Pocahontas – Respect for nature and respect for other cultures

The Emperor’s New Groove – Respecting others and not being full of oneself.

Ratatouille – following your dreams – You can be anything you set your mind to being.

There are, of course, many, many more.  What are some of your favorite life lessons and Disney quotes?

The Evangelism of Mr. Rogers

This past weekend, my mom and I went to see the documentary about Fred Rogers, Won’t You Be My Neighbor.  The documentary was also featured on the PBS News Hour on July 4^th.  If you have not seen the film yet, I highly recommend that you do, especially if you and/or your children grew up with “Mister Roger’s Neighborhood” on PBS.  It provides a big dose of nostalgia.

Before seeing the documentary, I did not know that Fred Rogers was an ordained Presbyterian minister, but it makes sense that such a kind and gentle man would be a man of God.  It might make some people uncomfortable to think of “Mister Roger’s Neighborhood” or its successor, “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” as television evangelization, but that is what it is.  The shows never directly address religion, but they teach morality and ethical behavior. 

Mr. Rogers strove to instill the children who watched his program with good self-esteem.  He told kids that they were special just the way they are.  His intent surely was not to create a generation of “special snowflakes”—those with the attitude that they deserve special treatment because of their uniqueness, whether real or perceived—but to give children confidence to be themselves.

Mr. Rogers taught coping mechanisms for difficult times in life.  Without using the words, he encouraged children to listen to their consciences.  In essence, he taught how to be the best person you could be.  Therefore, while he did not say anything explicitly religious or spiritual, he taught you how to be a child of God.  His “teaching method” was to explore concepts without making them conscious, that is, without naming them.  This method is effective for children because it encourages future connections.  When children encounter these concepts in later life, they recognize them from earlier exposure and can give a name to the concept.  Mr. Rogers was an excellent builder of background knowledge for children, which is essential for future learning to take place.

Those of us who grew up watching “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood” were primed not only to go to school and learn, but also to explore faith concepts.  In this sense, Fred Rogers was effectively an additional adult figure in our lives who modeled how to live as a person of faith.  What was wonderful about the show was that it brought these concepts into our everyday lives and into context throughout the week, not on Sundays only.

If you watched “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood” growing up or with your own children, or if your children watch “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” now, what is a message that has stuck with you?  What are your favorite memories of these shows?  Share in the comments section below.  Please remember to keep any comments civil and respectful.

Of Gods and Men

Now playing at: Broadway Centre Theatre

111 East Broadway, Salt Lake City, UT

Winner of the Grand Prix at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, Of Gods and Men stars Lambert Wilson as Christian, Prior of the monks, and 79-year-old Michael Lonsdale as a world weary medic who treats up to 150 Muslim villagers each day.

The film derives its title from the Book of Psalms, Psalm 82:6-7 quoted at the beginning of the film: "I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes."

Filmed in Morocco, the film shows the daily life of the Trappist monks before the terrorist threat ('90s civil war) becomes real, and the groups struggle as they decide whether to leave or stay.

Rated PG-13 for a momentary scene of startling wartime violence, some disturbing images and brief language.