Nobody Reads This Page: “Kindergeschichten”

  

c. 2026 Rod Ice

All rights reserved

(8-26)

 

 

When my sister’s children were young, I felt compelled to write tales intended for their specific age group. An act that I thought would reflect a measure of affection for these new members of our bloodline. But initially at least, my good intentions were sidetracked by a tendency to project satirical themes as a method for expressing personal frustration with the human experience, overall. A consequence perhaps, of growing up as someone generally tagged with the mark of being an outlier, at every turn.

 

Outre might have been my given, middle name, had both parents held less concern for maintaining a conventional public image, among neighbors and members of our family. Though to acknowledge that secret tendency in one of their offspring would have been unthinkable for that generation. Instead of allowing my oddities to flourish in the open, they were neatly buried under accepted layers of conformity, learned at church and in a schoolhouse classroom.

 

Thus, my first attempt at creating a fictional, kid-friendly storyline was one that followed the adventures of battling machines, who I envisioned to be similar to the memorable Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots of yonder days. I identified them as distinct personalities, called Conservator and Libertron. Animated warriors fighting for their dissimilar causes, red and blue respectively. This eventually produced a series of cartoon illustrations, which I shared during household visits. These imaginary contests evoked giggles and snorts of glee from my niece and nephews. While making my sibling roll her eyes with disbelief and astonishment.

 

That primitive concept may have passed into memory many years ago. Yet it remains a foundation for my own view of political discourse, in modern America. One needs only to log onto any of the popular, social-media platforms to see this ethos in effect. It is the seductive logic of tribalism, with true-believers facing off over nearly every issue. War, peace, climate change, reproduction, economic matters, education, health care, help for the aging and those who are disabled, and the thorny subject of religious beliefs. All of these have proven to be potent for the purpose of motivating the masses. They dependably drive fundraising efforts, voter registrations, and protest outings.

 

This duality of thinking, either with the left brain-hemisphere, or right, is so ingrained in the culture that any deviation arouses scorn and suspicion among those devoted to preserving the established template for conduct.

 

Those aligned with the blue battle-bot might exclaim that common folk are generally too uneducated for the purpose of self-government. And therefore, require the stewardship of edified masters to regulate their existence. Opponents who stand with the red battle-bot, however, seem to believe that common citizens are too seedy and sinful for taking responsibility over their own lives. Greatly immoral in their deeds, to the point of being dependent upon an artificial, moral code enforced by theologians, to thrive. Each path reflects a distaste for the principle of a nation founded on concepts of free expression, and liberty. But for practical purposes, they channel the energy of pundits and prognosticators into useful canals of psychic power.

 

Those who engage in questioning this eternal contest are doomed to a life in the shadows.

 

Years after my brief experience with dabbling in literature and art for children, I wrote a letter to the Libertarian Party chair which also used satire to convey my opinions about the order of things in Washington, D. C. and beyond.

 

“Imagine, if you will, that domestic politics is much like shopping for a meal among fast-food restaurants in many urban communities. You are offered two choices, McDonald’s or Burger King. Hamburgers are, after all, a staple of our homeland. Choosing one or the other is mandated by the marketplace, as it exists. You must pick an option without complaining! But, are you not a fan of the burger? Your loyalty will immediately be challenged. Is there something intrinsically wrong with dining on a patty of ground beef with accepted condiments and such? Does your reluctance to participate in this natural, one-or-the-other selection indicate a subversive streak? After all, hamburgers have been good enough for generations of our people. Why are they not good enough for you? Think carefully before making your selection!”

 

My manuscript then veered into an overview of other choices that might correspond to this mainstream mode of getting fed. What about Taco Bell? Or Kentucky Fried Chicken? Or dozens of other food purveyors who operate nationally? Our sense of order does not allow for such variations to occur by choice, in the habit of conducting an election cycle. We are a land defined by twin fates in operation. One wing of a bird, or the other. One eye open, the other closed. One hand empty, and the other held full. One foot up, and the other pressed sternly down. Left, right, left, right, left, right. A march of damnation for those who consider themselves to be non-binary, in terms of balloting for officials.

 

My wordsmithing effort received a response of amusement from the Libertarian confab, but nothing else. I got a kind note of thanks which is still somewhere in a file cabinet, here at the home office.

 

My sister expressed her own gratitude for what I had created with a hint of befuddlement added for good measure.

 

“Why can’t you ever be normal, Rodney? It’s like there is something busted in your brain. You always seem to see things differently than I do, or anyone else in the family. It’s weird that you can’t settle down after all this time!”

 

She was correct, of course. Whether because of my alternate viewpoint, or a broken link in between seeing and processing real events, I never quite got the gist of having a typical perspective. That kind of intellectual obedience was not justifiable, in my world. I needed more variety, and a greater amount of experiences to find my way through the cavernous corridors of modernity.

 

I do not know if my comic, battle-bots left a lasting impression on her kids. Yet those oddball depictions must at least have been a component in their intellectual development. Of that, I am certain. And I give thanks to have been there, when it mattered most.

 

Red versus blue; right versus left. The contest will go on...