- Solidariusz - Broadcaster | Sculptor: Unknown
Why I Talk About Dwarfs?
Fairy tales have been an integral part of human culture for centuries.
They convey important moral lessons and values or illustrate the consequences of good and bad behavior. They stimulate creative thinking, allowing readers to envision new ideas and possibilities. They are often reflective of the culture or historical context in which they were created offering insights into customs and preserving cultural heritage.
My Generation...
… the Baby Boomers may not be very speedy on the keyboard – after all we grew up learning calligraphy instead of typing. We may not follow every novelty and gossip 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 sign into Social Media because it’s convenient, fun, and provides many benefits:
- We stay in touch
- We join groups.
- We research
- We bear witness to history
- We reconnect with old friends
All this was fun, and then 2020 happened.
Amid the pandemic isolation, virtual communities should be livelier than ever. Right?
Unexpectedly, I found myself cautious about online interactions. While it should make sense that the Word Wide Health Crises would unify humanity, somehow we became more divided. Social media became politicized and suspiciously biased. Friends and family posts were replaced by social unrest and health crisis reports, followed by contradicting opinions of many “experts”. For not completely accepting their narrative, one could count on intimidating responses.
So, I began to hesitate to post or comment. I almost felt watched by the media algorithms for any indication of my preferences, just to be lured into viewing more and more advertisements I didn’t care to see. It was so discouraging that I did not feel like being part of social media anymore…
It remainded me on the early 1980-ties in Poland.
It was the dawn of the communist regime. Everything was politics. The tension was thick, opinions mixed, some of them senseless. Tired of pointless conversations, and making fun of the authorities who kept cross-examining EVERYBODY, the Opposition in my Town forged a response to all those interrogations: “We talk about dwarfs!”.
It became popular and soon was followed by dwarf graffiti on walls across the city (the Facebook walls were yet to be invented). It was entertaining as we made fun of the authorities in a harmless way.
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.
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?
Let’s talk about Dwarfs!