2319 – Sunday Digest: The Week in Review

Driving into work on this Sunday, Mother’s Day I find myself listening to Levar Burton, yes that LeVar Burton of Star Trek and Roots fame. I have dipped into the show’s archive and found “The Paper Menagerie”, one of my favourite short stories from the LeVar Burton Reads podcast.

The Paper Menagerie is a gut-wrenching story of a boy born to an American father and his mail-order bride from Hong Kong. Although I can not relate to the struggles of being a “half-breed” in white America and all the negative connotations that come with that in late 20th-century America, I can understand the struggle between generations. The animosity between a child and a parent. Ken Liu crafts an emotionally charged world of sorrow and struggle offset by the magic of his Mother’s origami animals. This Nebula, Hugo and World Fantasy Awards winner seemed a perfect fit for Mother’s Day.

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Speaking of Mother’s Day, in one of the more politically correct, woke, NO – just plain moronic twists one of the local school boards has ordered the removal of a Mother’s Day sign that Grade Six students had come up with.

Some including Gad Saad a Canadian professor and author who suggested “Mother’s Day is too exclusionary. Please be sensitive for community cohesion.”

To appease the few at the expense of the many, the sign was replaced with a less offensive message.

Make this month count.
Accomplish your goals.
You can do this.

The school’s first attempt at posting the new message contained a blatantly misspelled Acomplish / Accommplish / Acommplish. Perhaps more time on reading and writing and less time on social engineering should be the order of the day!

Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident.

School boards across this country have cancelled Mother’s and Father’s Day over concerns of inclusivity. Corporations have opted to forgo advertising campaigns or allow subscribers to opt out of receiving such materials and governmental agencies, universities, and mainstream publications now frequently refer to “pregnant people” or even “birthing people” instead of mothers.

“As we continue to learn and recognize the importance of celebrating all people in our community, we have moved away from isolated observances of specific traditions like Mother’s and Father’s Day,” the vice principal of Kildonan East Collegiate, a public high school in Winnipeg, Manitoba, wrote in a memo.

Of course, this is all ridiculous. Happy Mother’s Day, Mom. I am sorry that the generations since yours have messed this world up so bad that we can’t even show our appreciation for the person who brought us into this world.

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I won’t trouble you with any Maple Leafs talk this week although I heard that Auston and Mitch (Marner) scored a combined three-under at Glen Abbey. That’s three more birdies than goals scored by Matthews against the Florida Panthers.

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The Sam Roberts Band out of Montreal released some new music recently that I heard for the first time this week. The new single Picture of Love is a great listen.

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The week in review…

Doing An Investigative
A naughty romance story penned by Paula at Light Motifs II

Splashdown
The perils of one of the most dangerous times for an astronaut, re-entry and recovery written by Fandango at This, That and the Other.

Better Sorry Than Safe
A stream-of-consciousness piece about love written by Rockstar Girl at Where Stories Can Spark Their Magic

Sol
Rebecca at Is It Real or Fantasy gives us a poem with some powerful imagery

Weightlessness
Experience the emotion of a Mother’s worst nightmare with Susan at Sillyfrog’s Blog.

Childhood Magic
A skillful juxtaposition of time and our youth by Sadje at Keep It Alive.

More highlights from Greg’s Blog…

T-Shirt Wisdom Wednesday

Around the Blogosphere…

Ummm…

Next week…

Five Word Weekly, Four Line Fiction and at least one original piece. Consider that last one a challenge to myself since it’s been pretty barren at the blog lately.

In other news, I am considering launching a new monthly challenge in June or July. Something to allow the writer freedom to explore and develop longer stories. Stay tuned.

Have a great week everyone,

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