By: Marcia King-Gamble
www.lovemarcia.com
How many of you remember the old Byrd’s song?
To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time to every purpose, under heaven.
A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep.
To everything (turn, turn, turn.)
I find as I get older, and spend more time
reflecting, this song has even more meaning.
Seasons aren’t necessarily Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter. There are many
seasons to life, and actions can be deemed appropriate or inappropriate at a
particular time in life or history. More importantly, times change, and
evolving people need to change with them, or we become obsolete.
Take for example the recent brouhaha with the
decision to not publish six of Dr. Seuss’s books because of their racial
insensitivity. People were incensed.
They’d been brought up on those books and felt this was an overreaction by the
cancel culture.
I get it. Political correctness can take the
fun out of jokes we grew up with and the reading material that put us to bed.
Where was the hue and outcry back then? The truth of the matter is we were
living in a different time when racial sensitivity was ignored. People went for
the laugh, and minorities were afraid to speak up because you lived in a nation
where you were outnumbered.
Back then, books were not written for a
diverse readership, and people of color were perceived as non-readers. I’ve had
that said to me when I tried to get one of my books placed at a local drugstore
in the affluent Jersey Shore town where I once lived. What?
But back to Dr. Seuss and Dr. Seuss Enterprises. They deserve a loud applause for taking a
stand and deciding not to publish six books that “portray people in ways that
are hurtful and wrong.” Those are their words not mine. While the books might have been acceptable in
the years written, they are not now.
The season has changed and of note is the browning of America.
Pundits claim that in 2045 whites will be 49.7% of the population,
Latinx 24.4%, Blacks, 13.1%, Asians 7.9% and the remaining percentage will be
biracial. Time to step away from the stereotypes don’t you think? While it’s
taken decades, we’ve finally acknowledged that gays, transgenders and non-binaries exists in our wortd.
As
children we thought nothing of Ali Baba, the Arab thief, Shylock
the Jewish money lender and that the N word was used 200 times
in Huckleberry Finn. Another classic, Little House on the Prairie paints Native
Americans in a negative light, refers to blacks as darkies, and promotes minstrel
shows. These books and depictions while acceptable back then, had their season.
Today is a different world.
Another
recent situation that created a stir is Bachelor host Chris Harrison’s response
to former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay. This was about another contestant
vying for the current bachelor’s (a black man’s) attention. Recently it was discovered
she attended an antebellum party and had given the thumbs up to a picture
with a confederate flag. “Well, Rachel, is it a good look in 2018? Or
is it not a good look in 2021? Because there’s a big difference.” This is what Chris
said.
Is there
a big difference? I don’t see the season as having change much in 3 years, do
you? The bottom line is that after all the horrible events of the
last few years, companies are pushing diversity and committing to sensitivity training
and we need to practice what we preach.
‘Tis
a new season. A season of change.
A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sew
A time for love, a time for hate
A time for peace, I swear it's not too late.
Other news- I've updated and released This Way Home, originally written in 2003. You can find it here.
https://www.amazon.com/This-Way-Home-Updated-version-ebook/dp/B08XP1D525/ref
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/this-way-home-marcia-king-gamble/1005839137?ean=2940162567660
About
Marcia King-Gamble
Romance writer, Marcia King-Gamble
originally hails from a sunny Caribbean island where the sky and ocean are the
same mesmerizing shade of blue. This former travel industry executive has spent
most of life in the United States. A National Bestselling author, Marcia has
penned over 34 books and 8 novellas. She has contributed to Michael Fiore’s DigitalRomanceInc
and served as a moderator on the now defunct eHarmony advice boards. Having witnessed the bad, the ugly, and the
not so good in relationships, she still prefers to write about happily ever
after. Caring for her animal family keeps her grounded and sane.
Visit Marcia at www.lovemarcia.com
or “friend” her on Facebook: http://bit.ly/1MlnrIS
Be sure to join her newsletter mailing
list.
Instagram * Amazon * Website * Facebook * Twitter
9 comments:
Words of wisdom both in the song and in this post, Marcia. Thank you for sharing the words as I sing and hum along to them the remainder of the day.
Thanks for popping by Judith. The Byrds were way before their time.
I grew up with this song and the Byrd's album. Yes, that message is timeless. And you are so right, Marcia - about all our seasons, both personal and societal. If we don't grow as human beings and as a society--well, not much to say about anyone or any country or business who doesn't grow and learn...always.
I now have this song in my head, on a repeat loop, all day long! hahaha. Marcia, great post with many, many salient points.
Hi Deb.
It's defintely a timeless message. Let's hope and pray for growth and learnings.
Peggy,
Thanks for stopping by. Same here. The song keeps repeating in my head.
Thanks for the thoughtful post, Marcia!
Much appreciated Lynn. Let's hope it's a new season.
I've loved this song for a long time, and it is often sung in church. It is a message that needs repeating. Great post, Marcia!
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