Celebrate Dr. Seuss Every March 2nd
Dr. Seuss Day
March 2nd
Some adults are just large children with jobs, mortgages, and legs long enough to reach the gas pedal. They travel through life with unnecessary smiles, and a strange spring in their step. They often ignore the fact that their jolly nature is just plain irritating to serious-minded folks with real issues to face. Are these childlike adults blessed with good-natured attitudes, or cursed with a shallow understanding of the world? Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss noted the following, “Adults are just obsolete children and the h… with them.” Yes, our beloved American children’s book author and poet who wrote ‘The Cat in the Hat’, ‘The Lorax’, and ‘Horton Hears a Who’ suggested any adult who loses their childlike nature is probably destined for a difficult dark existence.
Dr. Seuss encouraged adults to see life with the enduring hope and limitless possibilities of a child as seen in these quotes from Oh the Places You’ll Go, (Dr. Seuss, 1990)
- “Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”
- “Will you succeed? Yes you will indeed! (98 and 3-4 percent guaranteed.)”
- “You're off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, So... get on your way!”
Theodor Seuss Geisel, AKA Dr. Seuss, mastered the art of communicating his wistful and fantastic outlook on life, but also his strong sense of justice for all people. In the book 'Horton Hears a Who', Horton the elephant chose to protect a race of beings too small to see with the naked eye. He peacefully protested against an entire jungle of heartless animals who refused to believe in the rights and existence of the tiny town of Whoville. Horton stayed faithful to the cause noting “…a person’s a person no matter how small.”
In Dr. Seuss’ 'Bread and Butter Wars' his beliefs were even more overt. He taught children and adults about a hidden truth behind some conflicts; personal preference and prejudice can be wrapped and distributed in a very political or moral package. One group of people preferred their bread buttered on side A while the other desired their bread buttered on side B. This insignificant conflict caused a battle fueled by fear of the unknown.
- “I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!”( I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew, 1965)
- “A person's a person, no matter how small.”(Horton Hears a Who, 1954)
“Which of these is a true fact about Dr. Seuss? (The Real Dr. Seuss, 2013)
- His pet cat gave him the idea for The Cat in the Hat.
- He wrote more than 400 books.
- He was not a real doctor.”
(See answers below)
Here are a few suggestions to help encourage you to regain that childlike feeling...
(See disclaimer below before trying any of these)
- Laugh way too long and unnecessarily loud occasionally
- Read a Dr. Seuss book today by yourself, or with someone else, your choice.
- Find a way to work a dayglo color into your wardrobe once in a while
- Take a running leap onto your bed before you go to sleep, big enough to bounce at-least twice before it settles
- Have a glass of Kool-aid, with a nice fried spam, baloney, and American cheese sandwich (can substitute peanut butter and jelly sandwich instead). Just once or twice a year, even better if paired with a green egg.
- Calmly walk out of the door of a store, mall, or other venue, and then run, roll, or walk as fast as you can, arms swinging wildly… like your pants are on fire, then calmly enter your car.
- Swing your purse, briefcase, backpack, or just your arms...back and forth with big sweeping motions as you walk down the hallway at work.
- Make up a joke, right off the top of your head, tell it to someone… laugh big, and even bigger if they don’t laugh with you
- Wave, smile, and pretend to tip your hat to a few nice people you don't even know.
- Stand up for the little "Who's" whenever you can.
A little silly you think? Not for a child....and that's the point my friend.
Essentially... Have fun with open, carefree, abandon, while also standing up for the little guy. Just because you can, and just like our friend Dr. Seuss.
Reference:
The Real Dr. Seuss. (2013). Scholastic News -- Edition 2, 69(6), 1.
Disclaimer:
These suggestions are not meant as medical, psychological, or professional advice. Any information contained is meant solely for reading entertainment purposes alone.
[ANSWER: All of the above!]