Why Dwarfs
My generation grew up learning calligraphy instead of typing, so many of us do not type very fast. But perhaps we still have the wisdom to interrupt today’s divisive online conversations and endless screen time by sharing a few fairy tales. How about dwarfs?
MEMOS
Solidariusz Radiowiec - Broadcaster | Artist Sculptor: Beata Zwolańska-Hołod
Fairy tales have been an essential part of human culture for centuries.
They convey moral lessons and values, and they show the consequences of good and bad behavior. They also stimulate creative thinking, encouraging readers to imagine new ideas and possibilities.
They often reflect the cultures and historical moments in which they were created, offering insight into different customs while helping preserve cultural heritage.
Despite these differences, fairy tales often touch on universal themes and experiences, making them relatable to people from many backgrounds.
MY GENERATION
A popular belief is that my generation is computer- and Internet-inept. But on my fiftieth birthday, when I wrote on my Facebook wall, “It is not over the hill; we called the landscapers, and they moved the hill!” the post was applauded with many “likes.”
Most of those likes came from friends older than I am.
My generation may not be very speedy on the keyboard; we may not follow every novelty online, for we are wise to know that many of them are total time wasters, but we are certainly not clueless. We enjoy learning and working from home using the World Wide Web and happily signing into Social Media groups because we know it can be convenient and fun.
And then …
THE YEAR 2020
Amid the pandemic isolation, which affected my generation so deeply, virtual communities should have been livelier than ever. Right?
Unexpectedly, I found myself cautious about online interactions. It seemed reasonable to expect that a worldwide health crisis would unify humanity, but somehow, we became more divided. Social media grew politicized and suspiciously biased. Posts from friends and family were replaced by reports of social unrest and health crises, followed by contradictory opinions from many “experts.” If someone did not fully accept their narrative, intimidating responses often followed.
So, I began to hesitate before posting or commenting. I sometimes felt watched by media algorithms, as if any hint of my preferences would be used to lure me into viewing multiple advertisements I did not care to see. It became discouraging enough that, at times, I no longer felt like part of social media at all!
WHY DO I WRITE ABOUT DWARFS?
It reminded me of the mid-1980s in Poland.
It was the dawn of the communist regime’s collapse. Everything was politics. The tension was thick, opinions were mixed, and some of them made little sense. Tired of pointless conversations and of mocking the authorities who kept cross-examining everybody, the Opposition in my Town forged a response to all those interrogations: “We talk about dwarfs!”
The phrase became popular and was soon followed by dwarf graffiti on walls across the city. Facebook walls had yet to be invented, but these real walls became a playful way to make fun of the authorities without causing harm.
A few years later, the regime collapsed, but the dwarfs were not forgotten. Thanks to the creativity of a Local Artist and the generosity of numerous sponsors, little bronze statues of dwarfs began to appear on the streets.
Déjà vu
Original dwarf graffiti from the 1980s on a building wall in Wrocław
Today, in the city of Wroclaw, there are about 400 of them. Some represent movements and convictions, some advertise their founders, some commemorate important people, and some decorate the streets just because. Everybody loves them.
My generation grew up learning calligraphy instead of typing, and we do not type very fast. But maybe, we still have the wisdom to interrupt the divisive online talks and endless onscreen hours of today by sharing some fairy tales?
