A Tsanmi

After an unexpected hiatus in the hospital recently I had some doubts regarding my own abilities.

I had been rather confident despite age until the consequences of Covid, and rapidly began to wonder if I had been looking through the proverbial rose colored glasses.

While in the emergency area, the looming numbers of my birthdate seemed to grow larger. When I answered the immediate and necessary questions, sometimes I was viewed with well, not quite suspicion, but something rather close.

Now when I have returned home, and apparently, choices are not being suggested for me, but instead made by the new aspect of cancel culture, I am again wondering about my abilities.

This week a long embraced library of Dr. Seuss books I hoped to share with visiting youngsters to my world are being removed from the market.

Am I no longer adult or cognizant enough to interpret these from an appropriate viewpoint? I truly doubt if any of the youngsters I already read these rollicking words to have become racist as a result.

Today Disney has removed several of my favorite films, Dumbo and Peter Pan as well as several others. from the market. The legendary musical “South Pacific” was also removed today from a school production.

Again, who is making these choices or decisions for not only me, but other citizens?

Are the decision makers necessarily wiser, smarter, wiser or to brutally honest, better people? And who gave them the title of judges for what I chose to read, view or write?

I don’t know how they received the qualifications and must express a simmering doubt.

I grew up in a different world. Hells Kitchen was unique and a melting pot in many ways.

We made our own independent decisions and choices; however, we also respected others.

I fear that may be lost in the tsunami wave of cancel culture.

But what I fear most is a future black market of books, and stories because none will be written without the tool of description. Something that now carries the reputation of racism, and will eliminate the ability to weave a tale.

The threads of description vary in color and thickness; no picture is painted without different shades, nor adventures described lacking heroes or villains.

Blandness will not be the solution for life’s inequities, nor will the distortion of history.