Day 5 - 119 -- Difference

Two movies on the oldies channel and a peer review today  got me thinking of difference and tolerance. "The Inn of the Sixth Happiness" took place at the beginning of the Sino-Japanese war in the 1930s. It told the story of a British woman who devoted her life to people of northern China, especially orphaned children. The second, "Fiddler on the Roof" told the story of the expulsion of Jewish people from Russia early in the 20th century. Each dealt with difference with tolerance and intolerance as the outcomes. The changing traditions in 'Fiddler' showed how perceptions can bend and adapt -- but only so far. Beliefs and values take a generation to alter, after which behaviours have morphed. Intolerance of the 'Other' has been with humans forever. Sadly, this often manifests through violent actions. These were present in each movie, even though the stories had been sanitized and subjected to 'artistic licence' by Hollywood.

A friend who had lived in China during the war, described the strafing runs by the Japanese air forces that killed peasants in the fields and destroyed villages. The terror and aftermath of these attacks occurred in 'The Inn' but in a muted format for the movie made in the mid-20th century. While critics would say it wasn't realistic, the emotions were not fully ignored by the director. My friend carried her experiences in triage in a northern city. With these came some deeply rooted anger decades later. Stories such as these and family histories play an important role in showing how the world has developed before, during and after major events. I've always tried to use story-telling in classrooms to explain how current events have grown from past events. Without that understanding, setting future directions will use new knowledge, but ignore past knowledge. Just because something is old doesn't mean it isn't worth examining. <smile>

So --after that thought process on a grey afternoon I felt the need for an upbeat song. One to cleanse a bit before moving further in the examination of the day's themes. The lyrics somewhat speak to tolerance within limits. Enjoy!

Friends -- Marshmello and Anne Marie