One Froggy Evening
Kimberly was playing a Trivia game online this morning, and had a question which related to the one and only Michigan J. Frog from the classic Warner Brothers cartoon "One Froggy Evening".
Kimberly, strangely enough, had never seen it before, so we visited Youtube and watched the 6 minute classic. I was rolling, and she was slightly amused (typical of our respective responses to cartoons of any sort).
In the midst of the classic comedy, I was struck with a deeper meaning in the story line though. . .
In brief, the story is the tale of a construction worker who finds a frog that sings and dances classic ragtime standards and showtunes, but strangely enough, whenever he tries to show this miraculous wonder to the rest of the world (fully expecting their amazement--and his resulting fame and fortune), Circumstances delay the unveiling until the end of the Frog's song, when he subesquently reverts to a normal, mundane frog. The rest of the world thinks the man is mad, and he ultimately falls into ruin until he returns the frog, in it's original box, back to where he found it.
How true is this for so many of us as people? How many of us find, within ourselves, a wonderous, even miraculous, thing that we want to share with the world. . .fully expecting them to be as amazed and enraptured as we are? Then, much to our utter dismay, the rest of the world just doesn't "get it".
The lesson that I learn (and have learned) is to learn to appreciate the frog. Rather than waiting for fame, fortune, and recognition from a world that is too busy, too preoccupied, too stupid, or too out of sync in order to truly appreciate the wonder that we have found within ourselves, we do well to simply learn to love, embrace, and appreciate this magic ourselves. . .
Then, if we are lucky and blessed, we might be able to bring people into our lives which can see these things as well, and learn to appreciate them, but if we fail in that respect, we still have the opportunity to understand and recognize the beauty and wonder that is within.
Kimberly, strangely enough, had never seen it before, so we visited Youtube and watched the 6 minute classic. I was rolling, and she was slightly amused (typical of our respective responses to cartoons of any sort).
In the midst of the classic comedy, I was struck with a deeper meaning in the story line though. . .
In brief, the story is the tale of a construction worker who finds a frog that sings and dances classic ragtime standards and showtunes, but strangely enough, whenever he tries to show this miraculous wonder to the rest of the world (fully expecting their amazement--and his resulting fame and fortune), Circumstances delay the unveiling until the end of the Frog's song, when he subesquently reverts to a normal, mundane frog. The rest of the world thinks the man is mad, and he ultimately falls into ruin until he returns the frog, in it's original box, back to where he found it.
How true is this for so many of us as people? How many of us find, within ourselves, a wonderous, even miraculous, thing that we want to share with the world. . .fully expecting them to be as amazed and enraptured as we are? Then, much to our utter dismay, the rest of the world just doesn't "get it".
The lesson that I learn (and have learned) is to learn to appreciate the frog. Rather than waiting for fame, fortune, and recognition from a world that is too busy, too preoccupied, too stupid, or too out of sync in order to truly appreciate the wonder that we have found within ourselves, we do well to simply learn to love, embrace, and appreciate this magic ourselves. . .
Then, if we are lucky and blessed, we might be able to bring people into our lives which can see these things as well, and learn to appreciate them, but if we fail in that respect, we still have the opportunity to understand and recognize the beauty and wonder that is within.
posted by Thomas J. at 9/26/2006 08:52:00 AM
3 Comments:
What a great lesson, Thomas. Would be fun to use this clip in an ethics class.
What I learned from watching this old cartoon -- boy have times changed! Do you think today's 10 year olds would be as entertained with a singing frog as we were? Cartoons today are so violent and deal with many adult subjects. Ah, for a simpler time.
Good point you made; isn't it the truth? I will comment on the posts that are all here on this page (forgive me for just now getting around to reading them)
In no particular order:
Crikey: How sad. We used to love to watch him; and while we too liked to make fun of him, he WAS the real deal. Did you see Bindi's tribute to him? What an amazing little girl.
Unbuto (I think I messed that up!) Good thoughts, too bad more people can't see that.
Slumber Party: How funny! I was cracking up at Mink Floyd! Sounds as if you are raising some future rockers there. :) (And yes, girls can do whatever they set out to do! GIRL POWER)
Product endorsement:
Those tea tree products sound pretty cool! I like the idea of being ecologically sound, and safer. (the whole come to my party thing; not so desirable)
As for your recording; what happens with the finished product? Not to be stupid, but in what capacity are you a musician? I mean will these be released to the general public for purchase? (forgive my ignorance of the whole music world and how it works! LOL) I love music and listening to it, but am dumb as far as all of the background of it. Explain please.
Amazing thoughts on creativity.
I totally relate. Keep doing what you're doing for your own sake, and if it develops into something that impacts somebody else, so much the better...
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