Day 74: Where the Wild Things Are

Tonight my Dad told me that Maurice Sendak, author of many great books but one of my favorites - Where the Wild Things Are, passed away yesterday at age 83. 

We talked about how great that book - and the idea - was, especially for kids. He took something scary and made it manageable. He made an adventure out of facing one's fears - understanding the misunderstood.

My Dad reminded me this was like my monkey stuffed animal I had when I was little.  After I saw the Wizard of Oz I was terrified of monkeys. So my parents got me a stuffed animal monkey. Cutest thing ever. I was no longer afraid of monkeys. After all, they really were just cute and cuddly.

I still have that monkey.

This made me think about the things I'm doing today. How in many ways, I'm facing my fears, and it's helping me get over them. At least I've gone out on a couple dates, emailed a cute guy I saw on TV...still planning on singing at an open mic. 

Then I realized something. I don't think this process ever really ends. And honestly, I don't think it's limited to a few. You can look at anything and anyone and see how this process could be beneficial. In many ways, we fear things because we don't understand them. White people feared black people because they had darker skin until it was realized, (what a shocker) they were people all the same. Sadly, even today, many conservative and religious people fear homosexuals because they fall in love in different ways. It may be different, but it's love all the same.

We feared monsters and wild things because, well they were wild and monstrous, until we realized, through Max, that they also just wanted to have adventures and be loved by others. 

Somewhere along the way, different meant scary. It's so simple though - different is just different. Different is "Not the same as another or each other; unlike in nature, form, or quality. Novel and unusual."

When we really step back and look at it, isn't everything even in it's smallest form, one way or another, different? And I'd venture to say - that for every one thing you identified as being different, you could also find one thing that was the same.

Somehow we got the message through children's books. Too bad kids grow up and forget.

Wouldn't it be great if we could all just suck it up. Be adventurous. Face our fears. Identify differences, but acknowledge the similarities. And for crying out loud what is so bad about the world and everyone in it being completely 100% the same in that they are all unique.

We'll miss you Maurice. Thank you for such beautiful adventures and enlightening stories. I believe your message will not be forgotten.  

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