You Can't Do It Alone

I was reading a book for work recently that talked about the commercialization of childhood. In the book, the author made a comment that while parents have a responsibility to teach their children, they really can't fight the battle against the commercial forces aimed at their children alone.

This is true, and it got me thinking about what the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints offers that can help combat the negative influence of media and commercialism in general. A few things came to mind. First, we have been instructed to be selective about the kind of media we expose ourselves to. For me, this has translated to less media exposure over all, which in and of itself limits the amount of advertising and commercialism I am exposed to. Also, the Church offers a wonderful support network. Members look out for each other. It is not just parents expressing particular values and views, but a network of reinforcing teachings from respected and valued leaders and friends.

On top of the wonderful support of other Latter-day Saints, we have the benefit of a personal relationship with our Savior Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father. They are ready and willing to help us by sending guidance and comfort through the Holy Ghost if we are but willing to ask.

If we start looking at all that is working against us, we are tempted to call it a losing fight. I'm reminded of the words wisdom and comfort spoken by Elisha, a prophet from the Old Testament. He declares: "Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them." (see 2 Kings 6:15-17 King James Version of the Bible). I believe we have Heavenly help far more often than we realize. So, when it seems that there are too many things fighting against us, we can take comfort that we are not fighting alone as we push back against seemingly insurmountable odds.

It's true, you can't do it alone, you're not supposed to, and you don't have to.

Happily Ever After?

I realized that there was an important part about my Disney discussion that I forgot to even mention.

One complaint that is often raised against Disney is that they promote unrealistic ideals - Happily Ever After? This morning as I was cleaning my apartment I was listening to the Soundtrack from Enchanted and one of the songs talks about how all of us want to believe that happily ever after is possible. Well, I personally believe it is possible. I don't believe that some day the man of my dreams will suddenly appear in my life, we'll immediately know we are in love, get married and live happily ever after. I do believe that there is great plan of happiness in place and that "men are that they might have joy" (see 2 Nephi 2:25) Of course each of us want to maximize our chances for happiness in this life, and that includes working towards having a happy marriage and family life.

I believe that men and women have distinct, and complimentary roles in this life. I feel we spend too much time trying to be the same. Why don't we just embrace and express gratitude for our differences and work together towards Happily Ever After?

The Wonderful World of Disney

I grew up watching Disney shows. Yes, I have my favorites. In the past few months, I have thought and talked about media A LOT. I took a class that looked at Children and the Mass Media, I have an internship this summer with an advocacy organization that seeks to minimize the impact of our commercialized world on children (and yes, that most definitely includes the Disney Empire). Let me share a few thoughts and a conversation I recently had on the subject.

There were several “Disney bashing” days in my Children and the Mass Media class. I read multiple articles that critiqued Disney and while some of the things they said rang true, I also found myself scoffing at the thought that Disney was pure evil. Sitting in class, I was faced with many people expressing their opinions against Disney. There are no mothers. Girls are relegated to being princesses in need of defending. Disney’s excessive marketing of licensed products, especially to little girls. Many of the perspectives I was able to handle, or at least hadn’t been pushed far enough to respond. Then started the long list of what was wrong with Mulan. I readily acknowledge that much of what was talked about was true – however I felt that another side of the situation needed to be acknowledged and considered. So, I raised my hand and took a big risk. To this room full of my peer who I knew had an opposing view to mine, I expressed my dissenting option.

Mulan is one of my favorites. I love my Dad. He and I have been through a lot together and I am so grateful for his support for me. I am grateful that he has always pointed me toward the path of becoming a better person and has always loved and supported me, the person I am now, as I strive to become better. (I have to interject – this parallels the way that our Father in Heaven feels and acts towards all His children – which is all of us – with love and understanding.) People in my class pointed to the closing scene in Mulan as one of the ultimate reasons the movie did not really break free from the stereotype – the girl still gets the guy in the end. My thought was that it depends on how you look at things. One can focus on the fact that the boy comes back into the picture, and we can discuss and analyze whether it fits or breaks the classic Disney mold. OR we can focus on my favorite part of the end of the movie. Mulan comes back to her father bearing gifts from the Emperor of China meant to bring honor to the family. Mulan’s father pushes these worldly things aside and hugs his little girl and tells her that she is the best gift and honor he could ever have. That to me is beautiful – an expression of true love from a father to a daughter. A reminder that things only have so much value, they pale in comparison to relationships with people. We choose the lens through which we look at the world. I do my best to choose to see things in a positive light. Sometimes I have to sift through a lot of sand, but usually there is some gold in there, even if it’s just flecks.

My personal experience aligns with the conclusion of a friend of mine – Disney has done more good than harm.

Explaining My Choice

Not too long ago I was talking to a friend of mine who told me if I created a blog he'd read it every time I updated it. He said I should share my thoughts, that maybe they would inspire other people to look at things from a different perspective. I smiled, probably laughed, and dismissed his idea. Then I got this month's copy of the Ensign - a monthly magazine published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - and there with an article by Elder M. Russell Ballard about sharing what we know and believe with others through the internet. So, here I am.

You may or may not have thought about some of the things I think about. You may or may not agree with me. I just feel a desire to share my thoughts and perspectives in case they are of use to someone, and if not, hopefully they will at least be entertaining to my friend who has promised to read what I write :)