In the small southwest Ohio town where we lay our scene, it was a hot July day in 2013.
Business was moving at a snail’s pace and I was bored to tears working behind the counter at McDonald’s when a friend’s mom came in. Our first customer in over an hour was all atwitter.
“It’s a boy!”
For a moment, I just stared at her, a little horrified because, for crying out loud, her youngest was a senior in high school. Then I remembered: The Royal Baby.
Prince William and Kate Middleton’s first baby, a cute little redhead they ended up naming George. I had been glued to the TV watching their wedding several years before.
Just yesterday my homework break consisted of reading how Prince George and his mommy are spending some quality time together at a museum in London before the next baby is born.
A few weeks ago, social media went nuts about The Dress that divided us all. You know, the one that looked black and blue to some and white and gold to others. I debated with my friends and family about it.
I saw white and gold and was neither thrilled nor surprised to read the article that told me basically my eyesight is nothing to write home about.
When the Royal Couple got married, when Prince George was born and when The Dress hit the scene, many condemned the amount of attention those things received
by society.
“All the problems we have today,” they sighed, “and this is what we pay attention to? Losing faith in humanity.”
They have a point, but I am not so serious that I cannot appreciate the occasional triviality to break up the sad, scary news that keeps
on coming.
All of this is part of humanity and the reason why I, myself, have not even begun to lose faith in it stems from the understanding that we are very flawed creatures who also have the capacity to do great things and be courageous, upstanding
individuals.
Yes, there is poverty, crime, hunger and ISIS. There are problems with education [don’t I know it] and woes of the economy. There are issues with gun control, immigration; you name it. Anyone who reads the news should be aware of that.
But here’s what else there is: a choice on all of our parts to zero in on the misery in our nation and world and remain miserable or to enjoy a little more happiness or just plain silliness put into the world.
People have called me foolish for following the happenings of the Royal Family for a number of reasons: it’s not what we should be focusing on, I have never even met these people, why should we care about the elite who have tons of money?
It’s true that many things that capture the world’s attention are not important in the least and I think there is a reason for that: you have to have some levity.
There is a time and place for action and concern, certainly, but in my humble opinion, it is not all the time.
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