—
Changing the world is no mean feat. It won’t happen overnight. It won’t happen with the underlying premise of “different and unequal.”
The only segment that is truly a “tabula rasa,” a clean slate, are our children. From the time they are born, we regale them with stories. We read from books, with bright pictures, some with sounds, others with touch, and still others with moving parts.
We read with intention of communicating the fun and essence of the story. We change our voices to fit the character. We look for smiles and awareness. The child’s acknowledgment comes with age. Time-honored tales of love, friendship, sharing, counting, and the world around us.
There is only one thing most of these books agree on: the main character is a male. And if it is not an animal, it is a white male. Go take a look. Within the industry and media, things are slowly changing. Multi-gender, multi-racial, and multi-cultural situations are showing up more and more. Children, regardless of heritage or physical challenges can see themselves in the stories of friendship and cooperation.
Not so true for hidden challenges. How can children learn to accept others who don’t seem to be behaving “normally?” Perhaps it is by re-thinking beloved stories of childhood — Winnie the Pooh for example.
According to the Canadian Medical Association, each Winnie the Pooh character symbolizes a certain mental disorder.
- Winnie the Pooh: He has an eating disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder aka A.D.H.D where it is very hard to focus. He also has impulsivity with obsessive fixations.
- Piglet: He suffers from Generalized Anxiety Disorder. The theory states that he may have suffered an injury that crippled his self-esteem and that his stuttering problem most likely developed from said injury.
- Owl: Dyslexia and Short-Term Memory Loss. Even though he’s shown as being exceptionally bright, he has trouble reading. An example would be in Pooh’s Grand Adventure when he mistook the word school for “skull.” Also, Owl tends to forget things as quickly as he says them.
- Tigger: He suffers from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Tigger’s always seen bouncing and can never stay in one place for a long period of time.
- Kanga: Social Anxiety Disorder. She is very overprotective of her son and would never let him make his own decisions because of her overprotectiveness.
- Roo: Autism Spectrum Disorder. He lacks awareness of danger and has a strange attachment to sitting in his mother’s pouch.
- Rabbit: He suffers from Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). He is very orderly and obsessive. and the theory also questions his sexual orientation due to his feminine behavior. Eeyore: Not surprisingly, he suffers from Depressive Disorder. He always has a bleak outlook on life, and never feels any positive emotions like happiness and excitement.
- Christopher Robin: Lastly, Christopher Robin himself suffers from Schizophrenia. It is believed that all the characters from above are manifested depending on Christopher’s mood.
Wow! The Winnie The Pooh gang has been entertaining children for years. A wealth of insight has been woven into the pages that has not been mined… until now.
Imagine the depth a parent could add to this story if one of the characters is the same as Uncle, or sister, or Dad, or a friend — people to embrace not fear. Understanding fosters community. Everybody’s different. Each person has a contribution to share. Inclusion adds enrichment to the community in the Wood.
Odd behaviors are accepted. No one is left out. Acceptance. Love. Companionship. All are a given and present. No questions asked. Each character is. A being. A contributor to the story and the lives within it.
We can use favorite stories to teach about an inclusive and equalitarian society. Every book, with a little insight, gives the reader another opportunity to reinforce acceptance for and to the listener.
Our children are our future. Let’s help them make their world the one we’d want to live in.
—
If you believe in the work we are doing here at The Good Men Project, please join like-minded individuals in The Good Men Project Premium Community.
◊♦◊
◊♦◊
Get the best stories from The Good Men Project delivered straight to your inbox, here.
◊♦◊
◊♦◊
Sign up for our Writing Prompts email to receive writing inspiration in your inbox twice per week.
♦◊♦
We have pioneered the largest worldwide conversation about what it means to be a good man in the 21st century. Your support of our work is inspiring and invaluable.
The Good Men Project is an Amazon.com affiliate. If you shop via THIS LINK, we will get a small commission and you will be supporting our Mission while still getting the quality products you would have purchased, anyway! Thank you for your continued support!
—
Photo Credit: Getty Images