I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day and an awesome week coming to a close for you. What a...weird, strange, odd - not sure of the right word - week. Two days of work, one day off to celebrate our country's independence and then back to work...for some.
Last weekend the Haslam family did a little stay-cation. We had a blast. I am telling you Friends, you are not living until you are flying around a track on a go-cart at 11:00 p.m. on a Friday night. Knees stuck in your chest, little rubber particles - which by the way you will dig out of your eyes for the next 2 days - flying into your eyes and vicious - I am telling you, absolutely vicious - Mom's and little kids trying to wreck you. Sure, you laugh! The Mom's look all nice and sweet. The little kids - with those gapped toothed grins - look all innocent. Just try to pass one of them! I am telling you, they are not nice, sweet or innocent! Vicious, just vicious!
So on Saturday night, after a day at the water park, we decided to watch a movie together. Of course our 7-year old wanted to watch a "kid movie" while the rest of us wanted to watch "something else." After much debate, Mom & Dad each trying to throw the other into the decision making role, we settled on "something else." It was a great movie...a movie based on true events about 3 whales that got trapped in the waters off Alaska and ultimately, the rescue of 2 of the whales. After breakfast on Sunday morning we returned to our hotel room and something told me to have the family watch the "kid movie." Our 7-year old Tender Warrior had been kind, gracious and understanding when we watched "something else" so I figured the least we could do is join him and watch the movie he wanted to watch. We all snuggled in and turned on the Lorax.
This always happens to me. I think I am going to watch some thoughtless, cartoon movie - snuggled up with my family...what a great place to be! - and all the sudden my Spirit starts doing jumping jacks as I realize there is a powerful message, or two, here. It is these, the lessons from the Lorax, that I want to share with you on this beautiful Friday morning. I do have to tell you, in doing a little research to make sure I got the quotes right, I had no idea the amount of controversy this movie caused. Ho-ly Smokes! A school district in California banned the book, people say it is a strong message about how we have to take care of the environment, some say the message is too strong, others think it unfairly portrays the logging industry, there is the gentleman who talks about all of the dishonesty in the movie...it goes on and on! I had no idea. The message(s) I got from the movie were completely different.
- The Once-ler has a dream that he wants to pursue, to create a product. His family mocks him as he drives off in pursuit of his dream...good start. To make his product he needs to cut down and use a part of the tree. After he cuts down a tree, disrupting the perfect lives of all of the animals - I think I have heard a story before about a perfect garden and one act disrupting everything! - the Lorax appears. The Once-ler promises that he won't cut down any more trees. Then his product sells. Soon, hearing of his successes, his family - the one's who mocked him - come to move in and share in his successes. Fast forward to the cutting down of the very last tree. He has not kept his promise, he has violated his own Spirit - there is a moment where he wrestles with the decision of what to do - and then, everyone leaves him. His family mocking his failure - he can no longer produce his product because there are no more trees - and his animal friends because it is no longer safe or healthy for them to live with him. With all due respect to environmentalists and their views, do you know or have you ever known anyone like this? Begin the pure-hearted pursuit of a dream, become misguided in the pursuit of the dream, become dishonest and violate their own Spirit, listening to the people - sadly portrayed in this movie by his family - who don't have their best interests in mind and turning their backs on the one's who truly do care about them. Time and time again this story plays out - in Dr. Seuss movies and more poignantly, in real life. But how, why? I think the Lorax answered this question.
- There is this exchange between the Lorax and the Once-ler:
"The Lorax: Which way does a tree fall?
The Once-ler: I don’t know…Down?
The Lorax, solemnly: A tree falls the way it leans. Be careful which way you lean."
- Ted, the little boy in the movie - "Never tell a young person that anything cannot be done. God may have been waiting centuries for someone ignorant enough of the impossible to do that very thing." G.M. Trevelyn - is given the very last seed by the Once-ler. All hope relies on this boy. If he can step up, pursue the burden of his heart, plant and nurture this seed, there can again be trees. If he fails, all hope is lost. There is this exchange between the Once-ler and Ted:
"You need to plant it, Ted," the Once-ler continued. "What," he found himself asking again, "Me?" "That seed is more than just a seed, just like you're more than just a boy. It's not what is. It's about what it can become," he added wisely. Ted took a moment to let this all sink in. Was it really up to him? "You need to change the way things are," the Once-ler added again. "But what if I can't," Ted worried, "I'm just a kid! There's no way I can stand up against O'Hare and plant the seed." From between the boards it appeared the Once-ler was shaking his head. "You got to least try, Ted," the Once-ler tried to reason with him. "But what if I can't?" Ted shot back. "Unless someone like you cares an awful lot. Nothings going to get better," the Once-ler said. Then he pulled his arms back through the boards and quietly adding more to himself, "It's not."
Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you or your families.
Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, please be aware of which way you are leaning and cherish your precious families.
Kev
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