Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.
- Dr. Seuss, The Lorax
For those of you with kids in school, it may not come as a surprise that Dr. Seuss' birthday was March 2. It was used as a springboard for Read Across America, so if your school is like my daughter's, you got annoying robo-calls about reading to your children. We really didn't need the reminder at our house, thanks, and it bugs me when a robo-call interrupts my viewing of "Dogtown," but there you go.
Not that the obnoxious calls have anything to do with how much I love Dr. Seuss. I love him.
My daughter's school encouraged kids to dress up as a Seussian character. Most kids did Thing 1 or Thing 2, or Sally from The Cat in the Hat. Baby Dol and I spent an entire day creating a fabulous, fabulous Cindy Lou Who get-up.
Here's the hair.
Yeah, I know--pretty damn awesome, right? I have no trouble fishing for a compliment on this bad boy, people, because it is the best thing I have ever done in my entire life. When I put that bow on the top and stepped back to look at it, I giggled maniacally, because I don't do hair.
I mean, look at it, people! It's beautiful, quirky, lush! Feel free to heap compliments on me in the comments.
After you answer the question, of course. Which is coming, now that I've vainly tooted my own horn.
My question today refers back to one of my favorite Dr. Seuss books, The Lorax. I will be honest here, amigos: I get choked up every time I read that book.
I mean, who doesn't love that grumpy little Lorax?
He was shortish. And oldish. And brownish. And mossy.
And he spoke with a voice that was sharpish and bossy.
He's quite the environmentalist, is The Lorax.
I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees.
The Onceler tells the story of how he (the Onceler) destroyed the local habitat and drove away all of the native wildlife in his quest to create Thneeds (a sort of universal clothing item that doubles as a multi-purpose linen).
The Lorax fought hard to stop the destruction of the habitat, but eventually even he fled.
The Lorax said nothing. Just gave me a glance...
just gave me a very sad, sad backward glance...
as he lifted himself by the seat of his pants.
And I'll never forget the grim look on his face
when he hoisted himself and took leave of this place,
through a hole in the smog, without leaving a trace.
And all that the Lorax left here in this mess was a small pile of rocks, with the one wordUNLESS.
The Onceler gives the last remaining seed of the Truffula Tree to the reader so that the habitat might be brought back again.
Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.
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