Down the rabbit hole
Day 46 on a long tour of I.travel. Sitting in a motel room in Canada- Like far into Canada.
I’m still here. Writing every day. Thinking of school and kids every day. March- was Alice in Wonderland. April- the Rainmaker. May. A return to the Three Little Pigs. and
IV. June
Theme: Song of the South, Disney’s 1946 live action/ animation movie.
~pause~
Never heard of it? Okay, well here we go.
Song of the South, the movie, has been criticized for its racist portrayal of African Americans and plantation life.
Officially ‘not banned’ in the United States. “Disney has voluntarily removed it from circulation”.
Disney CEO Bob Iger has said that the film is “not appropriate in today's world” and will not be re-released.
The film has been commercially available for decades in several countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Japan, Argentina, and Brazil.
Intro:
“Now, this here tale didn't happen just yesterday, nor the day before. 'Twas a long time ago. And in them days, everything was mighty satisfactual. The critters, they was closer to the folks, and the folks, they was closer to the critters, and if you'll excuse me for saying so, 'twas better all around.” Uncle Remus.
Uncle Remus is a collection of African American trickster stories told by the fictional character Uncle Remus. The stories were compiled and adapted by Joel Chandler Harris, a journalist and children's author. Harris published the stories in book form in 1881. Later adapted by Disney.
Uncle Remus, played by James Baskett defended the film and his character in it, saying, "I believe that certain groups are doing my race more harm in seeking to create dissension, than can ever possibly come out of the Song of the South.”
*P.S. The sincerity of this months theme is near and dear to my heart. I was 4, in 1972 when I saw Song of the South in a Denver movie theater. I watched it one time. I have never forgotten the stories, the songs and the acting. I hope I do it justice, Hattie!
“I don’t see color.”
How dull.
What might be another reason Song of the South is not available in the US?
How many other stories are outside of U.S. borders? I wonder. and How curious, Alice.
Down the Rabbit Hole.
Here is the thing- Leaving education, leaving home, leaving the conventional life (what ever that is), is weird. Of course it will be weird. It’s literally ‘outside the box’. Classroom box and box of screens.
Down the rabbit hole means- rising above (or below) the current conversations.
On Vancouver Island, I watched slugs. Slow, alien looking, slimy creatures with antenna-eyes. They are all different colors and different shapes, but having lots of time, I watched them. Everywhere.
June’s theme is Song of the South. A movie; followed by March’s- theme of Down the Rabbit Hole; April’s Rainmaker, and May’s Three Little Pigs.
Connection is= Nothing! Curious, irrational nonsense. Unless….
Time + (head) Space becomes -insert greater symbol- Greater than currently occupied.
What is the current Opportunity Cost of your Time and Space?
What Do You Want? How do you know? and what does it matter if there is no time nor space to explore?
Curiously, I’m following an instinct. Curiously, I’m following an insect, no- rather a caterpillar like Slug. Unfortunately, curiosity is not very welcomed in public schools. Like Song of the South not so welcomed in the moves, I wonder why?
Slugs: Slow, yet fast when studying them. Gender neutral- fascinating and complicated. When touched, they retreat within themselves (I cannot think of a better way to describe this)- then resiliently keep on going.
Vancouver Island is home to various slug species, including the native Banana Slug and several other invasive slug species. Banana Slugs are the largest terrestrial slugs in North America and the second-largest on Earth, often reaching lengths of up to 25 cm. Other slugs remain a threat to the ecosystem.
