THE CARAVAN Volume 9, Issue 5, May 2010


THINGS ARE NOT ALWAYS WHAT THEY SEEM TO BE
(HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON)

I went to the movies to see “How to Train Your Dragon” in 3D. It was fantastic! One of the best movies I have seen in a long time (Avatar being the exception).

In this fictitious Viking land long ago, is a village that is being ravaged by dragons and everyone’s dream is to grow up and kill a dragon. Along comes Hiccup, the son of the Viking leader who seems to be quite different and a real disappointment to his father. Hiccup realizes that he cannot kill dragons and he actually befriends one. As the movie progresses he also realizes that the dragons are not bad, but could actually make great pets. He learns that by being nice and giving out good vibes that the dragons responded in a docile and friendly manner. Of course, there is an evil dragon that controls all of the other dragons. This dragon is defeated by Hiccup and he saves the village. Nice ending.

This movie’s theme is layered and has many messages worth exploring. They explore the idea of being different than others and not measuring up to what your family and society believe you should be. Hiccup is ridiculed by his father and the other teens because he doesn’t fit in to what everyone thinks is normal.

We need to stop trying to put everyone in neat little boxes and understand that we are all different. We all have value and we must all find the light of our true nature. No one was put on this planet as a mistake. We all have something to contribute. What we need to understand is that everyone cannot and should not be contributing the same thing at the same time. That won’t work. Without the intellects we would have nothing to build and without labour nothing would get built. We need to learn to celebrate everyone’s right to be the person they were meant to be.

The next layer to this movie revolves around the belief that dragons are the Viking’s mortal enemies. It turns out to be just a myth. We need to look past what others look like and how others act towards us. We need to understand what is behind certain behaviours. In this movie, the dragons are raiding the village; but not because they were evil and wanted to eat the animals or people, because the evil dragon leader wanted and needed food and forced the other dragons to do the raiding.

As an aside, look at all the world leaders, who create destruction. They never do the deed and they rarely put themselves in harms way.

Hiccup is the one who finds the evil dragon and realizes what is really happening and of course saves the day.

So here are the lessons I learned from this movie and not in any order of importance.

-Parents listen to your teens; they just may have a point and may actually be right.
-Parents celebrate your teen’s right to be the person they believe they should be.
-Stop teasing your peers and putting them down just because they are different.
-Look behind the myth to make sure what you are being told is reality.
-Be brave enough to follow your convictions, even if it flies in the face of tradition.
And above all, remember that different is not bad or evil or lesser than what we would consider the norm…it is only different, nothing more.

Be well…

Ted



MOM’S TWO CENTS
By Jordin Williamson

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON

Being a parent isn’t a new concept. And being a child isn’t new either. So why is parenting our children so difficult? Why do we struggle so much with the rules, behaviours and demands of this title? And why, when there really isn’t one big rulebook does everyone have all the answers…but actually know nothing about parenting?

When you are pregnant, everyone tells you what books to read and what products to buy. Everyone is so excited about this new life and all the wonderful experiences you will have. But how many people really tell you how hard it is going to be? And how many people ever tell you that they have no idea what they are doing and that they fly by the seat of their pants from the second that baby enters the world.

My daughter asked me why I have kids and if I like being a Mom. I came up with some answers that I thought would satisfy an 8 year old but I really had no idea what those answers were. I love being a Mom. I love having my children. They add excitement to my life. They add love and…lots of laundry to my life. But what is the real answer to that question? And what are other parents’ answers to that question?

Parenting comes with an enormous amount of responsibility. You must teach your children to be strong, independent, valuable members of society. You must give them so much love that it seeps out of them and overflows to their siblings, family and friends. You must lead by good example so that they will grow to raise their own children with confidence, pride and the idea that there is light on the other side of that mountain of laundry.

My opinion, parenting is the hardest job you will ever have. Those babies don’t come out clutching an instruction manual. From the second they are born you write your own. Line by line; page by page; chapter by chapter. And you can give people the ‘Cole’s notes’ version of your book but everyone has to write their own.

So why do I have kids? Because it is the most rewarding job I could ever have! At the end of the day when I tuck my children in bed and they tell me they love me, my heart swells with pride. I am doing the best I can with what I know, what I am learning along the way and what I have been taught by my parents. And I can’t wait to write the next chapter.


Quote of the Month
By Brodi Mouradian

"Life is all about learning and teaching. Never stop doing either and you will be fulfilled.


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