In Praise of Elmo
The puppet that cares about humans more than many humans.
When I watch TV through a humanist lens, I see ads begging us to send money to help kids with cancer, kids in underdeveloped countries who have birth defects, kids who are starving, people who have lost everything in floods, earthquakes, fires, or bombings, it’s impossible not to wonder why all of this is still happening when we are living in a time when we have enough resources to feed, clothe, and house everyone — if we had the political will.
Instead, we see news that is filled with endless wars. There are liars and destroyers in the government, and the people elected to make laws don’t follow them. The air is filled with dangerous lies, as well as dangerous chemicals. Locally, there are migrants sleeping in the airports, and hospitals that treat thousands of people are going bankrupt. I often wonder if human evolution is moving in the right direction.
For me, the answer becomes another question: why do I think anything will change? Things have always been this way. For most of history, things were worse. I should be grateful, and I certainly am, that I am healthy, wealthy enough, and have survived being not too wise for lo these many years.
Given all of the anguish and angst in the world, someone ( really it’s a thing ) has stepped forward to show that it cares. The other day, in my endless wanderings around the internet I was surprised to find this from the toddler icon;
“Elmo is checking in! How’s everyone doing?”
The responses he got were overwhelming, but sadly, about half of them revealed that many people are not doing that well. Elmo responded with this:
“ Wow! Elmo is glad he asked! Elmo learned that it is important to ask a friend how they are doing. Elmo will check in again soon, friends! Elmo loves you.”
It’s good to know that someone cares. The hope is that people will follow Elmo’s advice and make an effort to relate to as many people as they can. The news covered the story for a day and used it to focus on the mental health crisis in America. They didn’t offer any solution and went right on to show clips of a grandmother being shot in Gaza while holding her grandson’s hand.
Soon after that, perhaps on another channel, I saw an ad that told me that Jesus cares. That ad didn’t say that you should go to church and make friends. It seemed to imply that you could talk to Jesus and didn’t need another friend. Whereas Elmo encouraged people to talk to other people. That is why I am labeling Elmo the Humanist of the Week!
One of my long-term friends died last week. He had been sick for a long time and lived in the California desert, so I had not seen him for a few years. But we would talk on the phone every couple of months. Last year we began to have some strange conversations. After he told me that he was now only working part-time, when I knew he had not worked for years, his wife got on the phone and told me that my friend still remembered my name but no longer remembered who I was. She said he no longer knew what day it was or where he was supposed to go, so he usually just went to bed.
I know it sounds trite but, as Elmo found out, society is changing. Many families are spread out, broken, and disconnected. Workplaces can be isolating and mind-numbing. Many people, especially at my age, are on their own as they have already lost friends and loved ones.
So, take it from Elmo, don’t depend on Jesus, call your friends. Better yet, go and see them. Check in again soon, because you never know when they are going to check out.
Song lyric of the day:
This is the song
La la la la
Elmo's song
La la la la
La la la la
Elmo's song
What lovely and loving thoughts, Old Man,, My two younger brothers are both dead, as are all 4 of my children. But this week my favorite Sister-in-law came all the way from Texas to spend a couple of days with me. She is much younger than my brother was and has remarried a delightful man closer to her age. It has been such a joy to me that she and her three children have stayed in touch with me. Good friends bring such joy to our lives. Cheers from a very, very old lady
The cruelty in this world makes me wonder if we are actually in hell. It could so easily become heaven if only people cared for nature and each other. I’ve gradually realized that there are two types of people, the givers and the takers. The takers grab whatever they can without any regard or concern for anyone but themselves. Maybe the givers will soon become extinct, or evolve into a higher plane of existence, leaving the takers to fight among themselves until there’s nothing left. The ways of the world are indeed hard to fathom.
I often chat with my old friends by Zoom or FaceTime and I always take a screenshot while we talk. Twice, without knowing it, those were the last photos of my friends before they suddenly passed away. I’m glad I have those memories.