It’s time to put away the snowman décor. Not that winter is over, but I need a signal that the season is passing and better days are ahead. We haven’t had a snowman’s chance yet, as of this writing, which is good given the relentless winds. Ranch and farm people are worried, and it’s hard not to recall stories of the Dust Bowl years but we tell ourselves that snow will come in March when calving starts, and promise not to complain if it happens.
There’s quite a bit of snowman themed stuff in this house; towels, placemats, figurines and such, so I got to pondering, while gathering it to store. What does it say about humans that we tend to put some version of our own image on so many things? Snowmen, Jack O’Lanterns, even angels.
Nobody really knows what angels look like, whether they have wings or halos and human shapes. I’m pretty sure some of them show up with skin on, at times, but we don’t always recognize them because we’re trained to look for wings. Mostly, I think we’re supposed to take angels on faith and just be aware of when they are at work in our world. Scripture tells us that the few people who got to meet an angel in person were scared out of their wits, but sometimes we need a jolt like that to point us to the plan that’s ours alone.
So, how about robots? Some of those are formed to resemble humans. If that’s supposed to reassure us or make them more acceptable, it hasn’t worked for me. Given the choice, I’d take a huge archangel in my doorway any day. And then there are the stories about outer space beings. I never saw the movie about ET but apparently, he had human-like characteristics.
What’s all this about? That we have limited capacities of imagination, or are just self-absorbed? How about selfies? Most vacation photos are of us or our companions standing in front of a monument or mountains. It seems more meaningful to leave out the people and just appreciate the reality around us.
If you watch any television at all, you’ll note how ads play on our self-interest. This product will remove wrinkles, that one whitens teeth, another boosts energy to make us feel years younger.
Body art, weird hair color, and strange clothing all shout, “Look at me.” Some of it is a true expression of personality, but a lot is a matter of wanting to fit in. This opinion, of course, from a former teen who wore a dog collar on her ankle, because that was girl code for available to date, or already spoken for, depending on which ankle wore the collar.
Strange where our minds go when social interaction is limited by weather. Some folks call it cabin fever.
Meet me here next week and meanwhile, do your best. Somebody might like it.