Monday, October 02, 2006

Horton Hatches A Creed

Some days my belief in God seems the most natural thing in the world, and radical alternatives look bizarrely impossible. (Moderate alternatives follow different rules). Other days the whole enterprise seems unlikely. Keyword seems. I have lived enough days to know that seemings come and go, and I expect there will be both in the future. Frodo had a noble and almost grandiose faith, able to withstand all appearance of hopelessness, and fight through on devotion to goodness alone. My creed is more modest, and comes from Dr. Seuss's Horton Hatches The Egg:
I meant what I said and I said what I meant.
An elephant's faithful, one hundred percent.

2 comments:

Kate said...
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Kate said...

From a PBS Special called Political Dr. Seuss


Horton Hears A Who! Themes: democratization in post-war Japan, treating Japanese people with respect and really listening to them

Yertle the Turtle Themes: Hitler, thirst for power

The Sneetches Themes: anti-Semitism, racism, tolerance

The Cat in the Hat Themes: general subversion and rebellion against authority, new optimism and energy of the 1960s

The Lorax Themes: conservation, corporate greed, against the consumer culture

The Butter Battle Book Themes: Cold War, against silly conflict that escalates into a dangerous situation