Television and I grew up together.  From Captain Kangaroo I learned the value of stories.  From the Mickey Mouse Club, I learned about adventure and magic.  From a local show, the Old Rebel, I learned that all kids are basically the same.  And isn’t that what this world is about.

Let’s look at this individually.  Stories are our first introduction to life and customs.  Whether it be fairy tales or Dr. Seuss, stories tell us about basic things in life.  We can believe in things we can’t understand.  It is okay to eat green eggs and ham.  It’s okay not understand because we have parents, aunts/uncles, family and family friends who are there for us.  Young as we are, we still need to understand the value of the written word.  And although people, even I, have moved to I-pad readers, the words are still there teaching us meaning and giving inspiration.

Adventure and magic.  Yes, I admit I watch Once Upon a Time and yes, I know it is fairy tales. But more importantly it offers escapism for just a few hours a week.  It allows us to move outside of ourselves and live a life that we could never dream of.  Whether it is fairy tales, secret agents, mystery, we all love adventure and seeing through others eyes. And isn’t that magic.  I certainly think so because it is giving me laughs, letting me cry and making me believe that good exists, evil can lose, and some things never change.

In the 1960s things were changing.  While I grew up in a family that saw all as equals, that wasn’t true of all the people with whom I attended school.  The Old Rebel taught us that difference was not what we thought.  Everyone is different and that is what made us unique.  By being unique, we move ourselves into a world where differences don’t matter.  This brings us to the realization that we are all the same.

Well, that is enough for my first blog.