# We grew up with myths and fantasy mainly ( books, TV, family lore, gossip, etc...)



## Paco Dennis (Aug 18, 2021)

In our youthful innocence we lived mostly in a naive state of free forming imagination, unfettered by good and bad, right and wrong...so anything was possible, even that which is impossible in our "physical" world. All cultures have stories that are mythic that they tell their youngsters. Mine was filled with television. The world of fantasy. One of my favorite's was 

*Bewitched  *
  I liked the original Darren the best, and loved the Grandma...."Hazel"? Genie was the cutest "adult" I had ever seen, and I loved her.  
The interesting thing to me is that in the late 50's and early 60's people were so afraid of metaphysical phenomena and by a large cultural push embraced Christianity as the only proper myth. Yet the TV shows were filled with myth...cartoons, Mr. Rogers, Man From U.N.C.L.E., Dallas, Lamb Chop and Sherry,
Gilligan's Island, etc....Almost everything except Documentaries and "News", were myths.

I would like to hear what your favorite "Myth" you liked. A TV show...Book...Story....etc....


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## Lee (Aug 18, 2021)

The biggest fantasy both back then and still today is Santa Clause, how disappointed we were to find out who Santa really was.


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## Judycat (Aug 18, 2021)

I liked the idea of the Easter Bunny hopping around leaving baskets of candy for kids. Then my mom decided I was too old to believe in an Easter Bunny. After preparing our baskets, I said so what's the Easter Bunny going to bring now? She looked at me with that "you're nuts" look and said that this was all I was going to get. Blah. Take the magic away why don't you. Then why even bother? Later the Church condemned the idea of an Easter Bunny because it was pagan. Life really stunk for kids from that time forward. Now if you wave at a little kid, they are as likely to flip you the bird as not. Ya this reality-based belief system is so much better.


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## Liberty (Aug 18, 2021)

Loved Twilight Zone...watch the old reruns sometimes.  And "Dark Shadows"...does anyone remember 
that series?


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## Verisure (Aug 18, 2021)

The Tooth Fairy. But I know that is true because I got money in a glass for it.


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## Aunt Bea (Aug 18, 2021)

Liberty said:


> Loved Twilight Zone...watch the old reruns sometimes.  And "Dark Shadows"...does anyone remember
> that series?


Dark Shadows is on the Decades channel.

https://www.decades.com/shows/dark-shadows


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## Verisure (Aug 18, 2021)

I wanted to believe in "talent scouts" that would discover me someday and make me famous.


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## Verisure (Aug 18, 2021)

*THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

1).* I remember very distinctly when our Sunday school teacher told us that divorcees who later married someone else were destined to burn forever in hell and that there were no amount of “Our Fathers” or “Hail Marys” that would save you. I cried my eyes out on the spot because my mother had divorced and remarried my step-father. The teacher offered me no sympathy, the bitch.

*2).* It was a mortal sin to eat meat on Friday. You do know what a mortal sin is, right? It means that if you’ve eaten meat on a Friday and were unfortunate enough to die before you could confess your sin, you’d go to hell and burn forever. I discovered, by and by, that the ruling had been changed and it is no longer a mortal sin to eat meat on a Friday. Perhaps it’s not even a venial sin today? Funny, isn’t it. I was under the impression that only God could decide who would go to hell, purgatory, or heaven. I must have been asleep when He had a change of heart.


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## horseless carriage (Aug 18, 2021)

Verisure said:


> *THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
> 
> 1).* I remember very distinctly when our Sunday school teacher told us that divorcees who later married someone else were destined to burn forever in hell and that there were no amount of “Our Fathers” or “Hail Marys” that would save you. I cried my eyes out on the spot because my mother had divorced and remarried my step-father. The teacher offered me no sympathy, the bitch.
> 
> *2).* It was a mortal sin to eat meat on Friday. You do know what a mortal sin is, right? It means that if you’ve eaten meat on a Friday and were unfortunate enough to die before you could confess your sin, you’d go to hell and burn forever. I discovered, by and by, that the ruling had been changed and it is no longer a mortal sin to eat meat on a Friday. Perhaps it’s not even a venial sin today? Funny, isn’t it. I was under the impression that only God could decide who would go to hell, purgatory, or heaven. I must have been asleep when He had a change of heart.


That, Verisure, is, or was, the lot of every child raised in the catholic church. Venial sin, mortal sin, for those unfamiliar with catholic doctrine, mortal sin is your ticket to Hell, in a hand cart. The sheer hypocrisy of their teaching, when the current Pope was ordained, in his speech he said, Martin Luther was right, the church needs to constantly reform. Saying that at my catholic school back in the 1950's would have gotten me expelled.

The fictional myths that I remember all came from books, my favourite being, The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe:

_"Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie are four siblings sent to live in the country with the eccentric Professor Kirke during World War II. The children explore the house on a rainy day and Lucy, the youngest, finds an enormous wardrobe. Lucy steps inside and finds herself in a strange, snowy wood. Lucy encounters the Faun Tumnus, who is surprised to meet a human girl. Tumnus tells Lucy that she has entered Narnia, a different world. Tumnus invites Lucy to tea, and she accepts. Lucy and Tumnus have a wonderful tea, but the faun bursts into tears and confesses that he is a servant of the evil White Witch. The Witch has enchanted Narnia so that it is always winter and never Christmas. Tumnus explains that he has been enlisted to capture human beings. Lucy implores Tumnus to release her, and he agrees."_


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## Paco Dennis (Aug 18, 2021)

In the late 50's TV really became big business. Corporations were merging and the public was getting swamped with products. The baby boomers grew up with a lot of goodies...except for the marginalized. I was raised to immolate the  "Dennis the Menace" narrative. My nick name was that shows title!! Mischief was my middle name.


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## fmdog44 (Aug 18, 2021)

I was too busy with other "stuff" to watch much TV as a kid. Saturdays were different with Flash Gordon, Captain Midnight, the Three Stooges and other super hero shows and cartoons.


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## Paco Dennis (Aug 18, 2021)

In my OP I even got two shows mixed up because they both had to do with big magic. I called the Bewitched actress "genie"...WRONG that was Barbara Eden in "I Dream of Genie". See how fantasy and myth blend together to make it even more 
fun.


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## Paco Dennis (Aug 18, 2021)

Come to think of it, I guess I am wondering about the role of fiction that we accept as "reality". I like both "non-fiction" and fiction but I tend towards fiction for fun and entertainment. Fiction is filled with imagination and impossible adventures and romance...or are they?


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## Verisure (Aug 18, 2021)

horseless carriage said:


> That, Verisure, is, or was, the lot of every child raised in the catholic church ........


Indeed. Pure superstition it is too. 


horseless carriage said:


> The fictional myths that I remember all came from books, my favourite being, The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe:
> 
> _"Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie are four siblings sent to live in the country with the eccentric Professor Kirke during World War II. The children explore the house on a rainy day and Lucy, the youngest, finds an enormous wardrobe. Lucy steps inside and finds herself in a strange, snowy wood. Lucy encounters the Faun Tumnus, who is surprised to meet a human girl. Tumnus tells Lucy that she has entered Narnia, a different world. Tumnus invites Lucy to tea, and she accepts. Lucy and Tumnus have a wonderful tea, but the faun bursts into tears and confesses that he is a servant of the evil White Witch. The Witch has enchanted Narnia so that it is always winter and never Christmas. Tumnus explains that he has been enlisted to capture human beings. Lucy implores Tumnus to release her, and he agrees."_


How nice! I love happy endings.


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## Verisure (Aug 18, 2021)

Paco Dennis said:


> In my OP I even got two shows mixed up because they both had to do with big magic. I called the Bewitched actress "genie"...WRONG that was Barbara Eden in "I Dream of Genie". See how fantasy and myth blend together to make it even more
> fun.


An understandable mistake in never-never land.


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## feywon (Aug 18, 2021)

Lee said:


> The biggest fantasy both back then and still today is Santa Clause, how disappointed we were to find out who Santa really was.


My Mom and Sisters tried to foster a belief in Santa Claus in me. Dad did not openly contradict them but never said anything in support of the myth either.  Having come from a poor family i suspect his adult view of was what mine came to be:  It's story like hundreds of others with some fun elements and perhaps some kind of 'moral' or lesson in it, but all too often it gets twisted to control/manipulate kids.  In ways similar to how religions are used to control/manipulate adults.  Think of the message it sends to kids living in poverty: No matter how good you are it is rarely if ever going to be 'good enough' to get what you really want. 

When i was raising my three  kids, Santa, the Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy had to be addressed--because the first 2 were way too pervasive in our culture to be ignored and the third while it doesn't pop up in movies and tv as often---it does get some coverage and kids talk to each other.   So i approached it the same way i approached the subject of religions with them:  Some people believe  (insert details of myth); i consider it a  mostly fun story, folklore/myth that sometimes gets distorted; You can decide for yourself, but remember it is not your place to tell to try and influence  what other kids believe.


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## Verisure (Aug 18, 2021)

Paco Dennis said:


> Come to think of it, I guess I am wondering about the role of fiction that we accept as "reality". I like both "non-fiction" and fiction but I tend towards fiction for fun and entertainment. Fiction is filled with imagination and impossible adventures and romance...or are they?


There is no doubt that the sort of romance I was taught as a child was mostly fiction. The number of women proposing marriage to mass-murdering death-row inmates makes that very clear.


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## Verisure (Aug 18, 2021)

feywon said:


> My Mom and Sisters tried to foster a belief in Santa Claus in me. Dad did not openly contradict them but never said anything in support of the myth either.  Having come from a poor family i suspect his adult view of was what mine came to be:  It's story like hundreds of others with some fun elements and perhaps some kind of 'moral' or lesson in it, but all too often it gets twisted to control/manipulate kids.  In ways similar to how religions are used to control/manipulate adults.  Think of the message it sends to kids living in poverty: No matter how good you are it is rarely if ever going to be 'good enough' to get what you really want.
> 
> When i was raising my three  kids, Santa, the Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy had to be addressed--because the first 2 were way too pervasive in our culture to be ignored and the third while it doesn't pop up in movies and tv as often---it does get some coverage and kids talk to each other.   So i approached it the same way i approached the subject of religions with them:  Some people believe  (insert details of myth); i consider it a  mostly fun story, folklore/myth that sometimes gets distorted; You can decide for yourself, but remember it is not your place to tell to try and influence  what other kids believe.


I don't know anyone here in Sweden (including myself) who tries to fluff off the Santa Claus story as true to their children. We know the story but we treat it as a fairy tale. The Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy are unknown.


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## feywon (Aug 18, 2021)

Didn't have TV in our home till i was like 11yrs old. So for me it came mostly from books, tho i listened to 'Inner Sanctum'  on the radio with my  older sisters.  
It is interesting to see the wide variety of things that are being referenced, and the wide variety of feelings about them--some focused on the 'fun' in suspending disbelief and some focused on the sense of betrayal when the truth came out, and on the oppressive nature of many religions.


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## Verisure (Aug 18, 2021)

feywon said:


> Didn't have TV in our home till i was like 11yrs old. So for me it came mostly from books, tho i listened to 'Inner Sanctum'  on the radio with my  older sisters.
> It is interesting to see the wide variety of things that are being referenced, and the wide variety of feelings about them--some focused on the 'fun' in suspending disbelief and some focused on the sense of betrayal when the truth came out, and on the oppressive nature of many religions.


Fill in the blank: *"The ______ knows!"*


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## OneEyedDiva (Aug 18, 2021)

Like you Paco, I loved Bewitched and the original Darren. Samantha's mother was Endora, not Hazel. I thought Elizabeth Montgomery was so cute and played her part so well. I also loved The Twilight Zone @Liberty. I think Rod Serling was brilliant. Through the magic of streaming, I occasionally watch episodes.  Like every child, I loved the idea of Santa Claus until I found out he wasn't real (I forgot how).

I've always loved shows and movies about paranormal events, UFOs and people with powers. So to this day, those are among my favorite genres to watch. I must say however, that being psychic myself and having experienced paranormal events first hand, some of events similar to those portrayed in movies and films are not myths and fantasy. @feywon knows what I'm talking about.


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## Judycat (Aug 18, 2021)

feywon said:


> My Mom and Sisters tried to foster a belief in Santa Claus in me. Dad did not openly contradict them but never said anything in support of the myth either.  Having come from a poor family i suspect his adult view of was what mine came to be:  It's story like hundreds of others with some fun elements and perhaps some kind of 'moral' or lesson in it, but all too often it gets twisted to control/manipulate kids.  In ways similar to how religions are used to control/manipulate adults.  Think of the message it sends to kids living in poverty: No matter how good you are it is rarely if ever going to be 'good enough' to get what you really want.
> 
> When i was raising my three  kids, Santa, the Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy had to be addressed--because the first 2 were way too pervasive in our culture to be ignored and the third while it doesn't pop up in movies and tv as often---it does get some coverage and kids talk to each other.   So i approached it the same way i approached the subject of religions with them:  Some people believe  (insert details of myth); i consider it a  mostly fun story, folklore/myth that sometimes gets distorted; You can decide for yourself, but remember it is not your place to tell to try and influence  what other kids believe.


I used to tell my kids pretty much the same thing.


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## Paco Dennis (Aug 18, 2021)

feywon said:


> Didn't have TV in our home till i was like 11yrs old. So for me it came mostly from books, tho i listened to 'Inner Sanctum'  on the radio with my  older sisters.
> *It is interesting to see the wide variety of things that are being referenced, and the wide variety of feelings about them--some focused on the 'fun' in suspending disbelief and some focused on the sense of betrayal when the truth came out, and on the oppressive nature of many religions.*



There is a line in the movie "Emerald Forest"..."When dreams become reality, trouble is not far away." In my experience it has gone both ways. Some I became elated with joy, others faded into disaster.  Now, in my senior years it doesn't make much difference. My imagination is harmless and spontaneous ( without effort ), and I am enjoying the the stories I have accumulated throughout my life...all of them. Just think of all the material we contain to let our imaginations be free to see our world as fulfilling as possible.

This was another of my favorites.


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## Judycat (Aug 18, 2021)

Paco Dennis said:


> There is a line in the movie "Emerald Forest"..."When dreams become reality, trouble is not far away." In my experience it has gone both ways. Some I became elated with joy, others faded into disaster.  Now, in my senior years it doesn't make much difference. My imagination is harmless and spontaneous ( without effort ), and I am enjoying the the stories I have accumulated throughout my life...all of them. Just think of all the material we contain to let our imaginations be free to see our world as fulfilling as possible.
> 
> This was another of my favorites.



I loved the absurdity of Get Smart.


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## feywon (Aug 18, 2021)

Verisure said:


> Fill in the blank: *"The ______ knows!"*


Shadow....yes.


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## Verisure (Aug 18, 2021)

feywon said:


> Shadow....yes.


You make me proud!


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## Pinky (Aug 18, 2021)

Growing up in a dysfunctional family, I used to fantasize about the perfect families depicted on television, such as The Donna Reed Show and Father Knows Best.


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## Verisure (Aug 18, 2021)

Pinky said:


> Growing up in a dysfunctional family, I used to fantasize about the perfect families depicted on television, such as The Donna Reed Show and Father Knows Best.


Our hearts are one, Pinky. For me, it was Ozzie & Harriet, Danny Tomas Show, Life of Riley, and Leave it to Beaver. I wanted to grow to be Ricky Nelson and get married to either Mary Tyler Moore or Anette Funicello.


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## CinnamonSugar (Aug 18, 2021)

Verisure said:


> *THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
> 
> 1).* I remember very distinctly when our Sunday school teacher told us that divorcees who later married someone else were destined to burn forever in hell and that there were no amount of “Our Fathers” or “Hail Marys” that would save you. I cried my eyes out on the spot because my mother had divorced and remarried my step-father. The teacher offered me no sympathy, the bitch.
> 
> *2).* It was a mortal sin to eat meat on Friday. You do know what a mortal sin is, right? It means that if you’ve eaten meat on a Friday and were unfortunate enough to die before you could confess your sin, you’d go to hell and burn forever. I discovered, by and by, that the ruling had been changed and it is no longer a mortal sin to eat meat on a Friday. Perhaps it’s not even a venial sin today? Funny, isn’t it. I was under the impression that only God could decide who would go to hell, purgatory, or heaven. I must have been asleep when He had a change of heart.


@Verisure I'm sorry you had such a bad experience growing up in the Catholic church.  Is it just the Catholic church you have a problem with or Christianity in general?


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## Verisure (Aug 18, 2021)

CinnamonSugar said:


> @Verisure I'm sorry you had such a bad experience growing up in the Catholic church.  Is it just the Catholic church you have a problem with or Christianity in general?


All religions "in general". There is no answer to "the meaning of life". Not on this earth. People who claim they know the answer (and want monetary support or obedience) are swindlers. Life (no matter who or what created it) is good. Let's enjoy it and not clutter it up with hocus-pocus and superstition.


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## Marie5656 (Aug 18, 2021)

*Who here was visited by the Tooth Fairy..who came and recovered your baby teeth and paid you for them!!!.    Another thing I experienced only once was the New Year's Baby visiting.  One new years eve I had a sleep over at a friends house, while our parent's went out for the holiday.  Anyway, when we got up in the morning, we both fund a little gift by our beds with a note that it was from the New Years Baby!!!*


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## CinnamonSugar (Aug 18, 2021)

Verisure said:


> All religions "in general". There is no answer to "the meaning of life". Not on this earth. People who claim they know the answer (and want monetary support or obedience) are swindlers. Life (no matter who or what created it) is good. Let's enjoy it and not clutter it up with hocus-pocus and superstition.


I respectfully disagree but wish you only the best as you live your life


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## Verisure (Aug 18, 2021)

CinnamonSugar said:


> I respectfully disagree but wish you only the best as you live your life


You don't think life is good?


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## Verisure (Aug 18, 2021)

Marie5656 said:


> *Who here was visited by the Tooth Fairy..who came and recovered your baby teeth and paid you for them!!!.    Another thing I experienced only once was the New Year's Baby visiting.  One new years eve I had a sleep over at a friends house, while our parent's went out for the holiday.  Anyway, when we got up in the morning, we both fund a little gift by our beds with a note that it was from the New Years Baby!!!*


I don't understand. Your parents had a baby and rather than explain how babies are made ..... ?


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## CinnamonSugar (Aug 18, 2021)

Verisure said:


> You don't think life is good?


Life is wonderful. I disagree with ‘there is no answer to the meaning of life” or that faith is superstition


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## Marie5656 (Aug 18, 2021)

Verisure said:


> I don't understand. Your parents had a baby and rather than explain how babies are made ..... ?


You have never heard of the New Years Baby?  Comes in with the New Year, as Father time leaves at the end of the old year.


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## DaveA (Aug 18, 2021)

feywon said:


> Didn't have TV in our home till i was like 11yrs old. So for me it came mostly from books, tho i listened to 'Inner Sanctum'  on the radio with my  older sisters.
> It is interesting to see the wide variety of things that are being referenced, and the wide variety of feelings about them--some focused on the 'fun' in suspending disbelief and some focused on the sense of betrayal when the truth came out, and on the oppressive nature of many religions.


I must  be in that same age group although we didn't have a TV until I was 14-15, and I recall that, as a younger child, I was forbidden to listen to "Inner Sanctum" with it's weekly opening creaky door.


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## officerripley (Aug 18, 2021)

Pinky said:


> Growing up in a dysfunctional family, I used to fantasize about the perfect families depicted on television, such as The Donna Reed Show and Father Knows Best.


Same here; I was particularly fond of the Donna Reed Show. I don't remember ever believing in Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy; I had enough of a struggle--which, after about 50 years, I gave up--trying to believe in the God that the protestant branch of Christianity I was raised in plumped for. More and more, I agree with this:

_"[M]yth[:]…what the big religion calls the little religion…"_
~~from “Open Letter to [Science Fiction/Fantasy Conventions] from the Indians No Longer in the Background of a John Wayne Movie” by Stephen Graham Jones, Tor.com Personal Essays, 5/19/21


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## DaveA (Aug 18, 2021)

feywon said:


> Shadow....yes.


" - - - what evil lurks in the hearts  of men. the - - - -."   Haven't heard or been reminded of that blurb in quite some time.


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## Alligatorob (Aug 18, 2021)

Paco, thanks for the thread, lots of good memories here.

I believe that Myths and Legends are and always have been an important part of civilization.  They help hold us together and offer some good advice to live by (sometimes anyway).  It also gives us something to talk about with a complete stranger.


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## Llynn (Aug 18, 2021)

What? Are some of you trying to tell me Santa Claus isn't real?  Lies! Lies!


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## senior chef (Aug 18, 2021)

Verisure said:


> *All religions "in general". *There is no answer to "the meaning of life". Not on this earth. People who claim they know the answer (and want monetary support or obedience) are swindlers. Life (no matter who or what created it) is good. Let's enjoy it and not clutter it up with hocus-pocus and superstition.


Indeed !  We have to create our own "meaning to life", which, in my opinion, is caring for others. I am completely convinced that there is no magical 'sky fairy'.


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## officerripley (Aug 18, 2021)

senior chef said:


> Indeed !  We have to create our own "meaning to life", which, in my opinion, is caring for others. I am completely convinced that there is no magical 'sky fairy'.


Or, as I heard on another site, AKA "the invisible sky bully."


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## Murrmurr (Aug 18, 2021)

Verisure said:


> The Tooth Fairy. But I know that is true because I got money in a glass for it.


I embellished the tooth-fairy fantasy when my daughter lost a tooth and I dumped a tiny splotch of glitter on her pillow and one on a few more spots, including the leaf of a houseplant near the back door.

I pointed that one out. "Look! She must've landed right here on her way out!" and my daughter gave me a side-glance that told me I'd just wasted half a bottle of glitter.


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## Verisure (Aug 18, 2021)

Murrmurr said:


> I embellished the tooth-fairy fantasy when my daughter lost a tooth and I dumped a tiny splotch of glitter on her pillow and one on a few more spots, including the leaf of a houseplant near the back door.
> 
> I pointed that one out. "Look! She must've landed right here on her way out!" and my daughter gave me a side-glance that told me I'd just wasted half a bottle of glitter.


How old was she a the time?


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## Murrmurr (Aug 18, 2021)

Verisure said:


> How old was she a the time?


9 

I know, don't say it. But if she'd have let me, I woulda kept the t-fairy story alive till she got her wisdom teeth.

Their childhoods might have been more fun for me than they were for them.


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## Verisure (Aug 18, 2021)

Murrmurr said:


> 9
> 
> I know, don't say it. But if she'd have let me, I woulda kept the t-fairy story alive till she got her wisdom teeth.
> 
> Their childhoods might have been more fun for me than they were for them.


Growing up is far more heartbreaking for the parents than for the children. As if I were the only parent who knows it ..... u-huh.


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## Leonie (Aug 18, 2021)

Nobody mentioned Peter Pan.     When I was a little girl I was so envious of Wendy.  And who wouldn't love Tinker Bell?


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## Sassycakes (Aug 19, 2021)

Verisure said:


> Our hearts are one, Pinky. For me, it was Ozzie & Harriet, Danny Tomas Show, Life of Riley, and Leave it to Beaver. I wanted to grow to be Ricky Nelson and get married to either Mary Tyler Moore or Anette Funicello.


 You reminded me of how much my Dad loved the "Life of Riley".He liked it soo much that he bought a TV to put in the Kitchen because it came on when we were having dinner. One day I asked him why he liked it so much and he said because his daughter's name is Babs just like your name.
I had a crush on Ricky Nelson!


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## Verisure (Aug 19, 2021)

Sassycakes said:


> You reminded me of how much my Dad loved the "Life of Riley".He liked it soo much that he bought a TV to put in the Kitchen because it came on when we were having dinner. One day I asked him why he liked it so much and he said because his daughter's name is Babs just like your name.
> I had a crush on Ricky Nelson!


A beautiful story! I think "Riley" was one of my favourites because he was forever learning more from his wife and daughter than what they learnt from him. By the way, my mother had one of those TV sets on the kitchen table.


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## Murrmurr (Aug 19, 2021)

Verisure said:


> A beautiful story! I think "Riley" was one of my favourites because he was forever learning more from his wife and daughter than what they learnt from him. By the way, my mother had one of those TV sets on the kitchen table.
> 
> View attachment 179479


My grandma had one just like that. She'd bring it with her when she visited us over the holidays (we didn't have a TV). She'd set the rabbit ears on top, and they had a mess of tin foil on the ends. Us kids spent a whole lot of time in the "Gramma Room" when she came to visit.


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## Nathan (Aug 19, 2021)

OneEyedDiva said:


> Like you Paco, I loved Bewitched and the original Darren. Samantha's mother was Endora, not Hazel. I thought Elizabeth Montgomery was so cute and played her part so well. I also loved The Twilight Zone @Liberty. I think Rod Serling was brilliant. Through the magic of streaming, I occasionally watch episodes.  Like every child, I loved the idea of Santa Claus until I found out he wasn't real (I forgot how).
> 
> I've always loved shows and movies about paranormal events, UFOs and people with powers. So to this day, those are among my favorite genres to watch. I must say however, that being psychic myself and having experienced paranormal events first hand, some of events similar to those portrayed in movies and films are not myths and fantasy. @feywon knows what I'm talking about.


We have similar tastes for entertainment back in the day.    I have to add Outer Limits, One Step Beyond, Night Gallery, Thriller...uh, a couple others I've forgotten.   I'll probably remember later around 3AM.*  *


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## Verisure (Aug 19, 2021)

Nathan said:


> We have similar tastes for entertainment back in the day.    I have to add Outer Limits, One Step Beyond, Night Gallery, Thriller...uh, a couple others I've forgotten.   I'll probably remember later around 3AM.* *


Around 3 AM? That's about the time "Shock Theatre" comes on!


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## Paco Dennis (Aug 20, 2021)

Verisure said:


> All religions "in general". There is no answer to "the meaning of life". Not on this earth. People who claim they know the answer (and want monetary support or obedience) are swindlers. *Life (no matter who or what created it) is good. Let's enjoy it and not clutter it up with hocus-pocus and superstition.*


    It is hard not to make assumptions like this. Life is not "good". It is sometimes painful, horrific, deadly, unfair, crippling, etc. Maybe our imagination ( hocus-pocus ) is evolution's way of adapting to our environment. We have limited senses to understand what the universe IS, so we fill in the blanks with imagination, myths, and stories. Fantastic. The mystery is when and where does your own imaginary world arise?  
   In fact you have done what you dislike about religion, a definitive answer.


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## Verisure (Aug 20, 2021)

Paco Dennis said:


> It is hard not to make assumptions like this. Life is not "good". It is sometimes painful, horrific, deadly, unfair, crippling, etc. Maybe our imagination ( hocus-pocus ) is evolution's way of adapting to our environment. We have limited senses to understand what the universe IS, so we fill in the blanks with imagination, myths, and stories. Fantastic. The mystery is when and where does your own imaginary world arise?


Life itself *is* good otherwise drug addicts and the homeless would be toping themselves in droves.

The key to life and the universe is not in understanding it. As I’ve already stated there is no understanding it … yet. This makes the meaning of life unimportant and making fantasy, superstitious explanations ridiculous. There it is. Those who cannot accept life for what it is find purpose in their imagination. That is where religion comes into play. Imagination. Hocus-Pocus. Superstition. When you watch your favourite ball sport do you evaluate wind velocity or satisfy yourself with the pitch or toss, delivered by the bowler, pitcher? “That was a good pitch!” or “That was a good wind!”? Life is exactly as we see it and we don’t need to know the velocity of the wind to live it to the best advantage at our own personal capabilities.



Paco Dennis said:


> In fact you have done what you dislike about religion, a definitive answer.


Not true. Unless you can be more specific?


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## Della (Aug 20, 2021)

When I try to remember TV from when I was very little I picture the backs of my two older brothers' heads as they sat on the floor watching what I thought of as "the hats."  Men in cowboy hats (The Lone Ranger, Hopalong Cassidy) or men in fedoras (Dragnet.)  Even the kids shows like Howdy Doody and Lassie were pretty male centric. 

My fantasy world came from books and records.  My favorite thing was a huge album of "Snow White"  containing several big records and many follow-along pages of text "turn the page when you hear the bell."   We all three knew all the words and all the lyrics and had our favorite characters. I somehow already knew how to read when I entered first grade and it was probably from that. My poor mother said we played it a thousand times.  I still can't sweep the porch without hearing "Whistle While You Work," in my head.

So if any childhood myth influenced me it was the Cinderella Complex.  I grew up expecting some prince to come along and take me to his castle so long as I acted nice and looked pretty.


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## Verisure (Aug 20, 2021)

Della said:


> .....  Even the kids shows like Howdy Doody and Lassie were pretty male centric.


I usually agree with this concept but I'm not so sure anymore. Male and female roles were obvious in the old films but I don't think being a coward or being a bad housekeeper were on unequal terms. But one thing still irritates me today when viewing old films: The man leading the woman around by her elbow!


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## Paco Dennis (Aug 20, 2021)

Including Mr. Aurelius's postulate.


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## Paco Dennis (Aug 20, 2021)

Ricky Nelson was a idol for me. I wanted to be like him when I grew up. Except the part where he goes to a garden party. That is when I started wanting to play guitar. This show and the Monkee's set a major tone for my adolescence.


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## Verisure (Aug 20, 2021)

Paco Dennis said:


> Ricky Nelson was a idol for me. I wanted to be like him when I grew up. Except the part where he goes to a garden party. That is when I started wanting to play guitar. This show and the Monkee's set a major tone for my adolescence.


It's late. You better get on home.


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## IrisSenior (Aug 20, 2021)

Paco Dennis said:


> Including Mr. Aurelius's postulate.


Ha, ha, ha...I like that; good post.


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## IrisSenior (Aug 20, 2021)

I would say the "Wizard of Oz" was a great fantasy and I enjoyed watching every year while growing up even though it took me years to find out it was based on a dream (I kid you not). Life is meant to be lived and if we have trouble living with the not so good times (like me) then it's best just to get on with it and enjoy the good times with the time you have left with the people you love. Whatever you _need_ to be able to do that is your decision no matter what the choices are. Peace be with you.


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## feywon (Aug 20, 2021)

Paco Dennis said:


> Including Mr. Aurelius's postulate.


Sometimes the simplest concepts need to be presented in different formats for broadest number of people to understand. So here's another graphic that makes the same point:


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## Chris P Bacon (Aug 20, 2021)

Paco Dennis said:


> In my OP I even got two shows mixed up because they both had to do with big magic. I called the Bewitched actress "genie"...WRONG that was Barbara Eden in "I Dream of Genie". See how fantasy and myth blend together to make it even more
> fun.


Both wonderful shows and actors/actresses in them. I had crushes on both Elizabeth Montgomery and Barbara Eden as well. Schoolboy innocence.


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## Chris P Bacon (Aug 20, 2021)

Verisure said:


> Fill in the blank: *"The ______ knows!"*


Who knows what evil lurks within the hearts of men?  The Shadow knows!


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## feywon (Aug 20, 2021)

@Paco Dennis mentioned 'family lore' in the title of the thread.  i find it interesting and perhaps significant that most responses have been about the the purely fictional (books/movies/TV Shows) input. What little info about our lives/family anyone has talked about has been pretty much in direct reference to our exposure to cultural influences, very little if anything of 'family lore'.  Those stories about the people we descended from, nearly all of which were based on fact but also likely 'embellished' over the years as well. Because most all of us have a personal narrative, a concept of self (Look up Antonio Damasio Ted talk re this on YouTube) that is based in part on how our early lives, the people around us influenced who we are now. 

i'm seriously considering starting a thread focusing on that subject, family lore, and how we have to reframe our personal narratives, perspectives on life when we learn something that contradicts, confirms or simply expands the real story behind the traditional one passed down. It doesn't have to be earth-shaking personal revelations sometimes just a shift in 'reality' that we might not have been privy to or recognized as children.

And just now my humor was activated at the notion of this, a thread that has focused on myth and fantasy will foster a 'spin off', something that has become common in comics, movie and tv land.


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## Verisure (Aug 20, 2021)

Chris P Bacon said:


> Who knows what evil lurks within the hearts of men?  The Shadow knows!


Well done, Chris!


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## helenbacque (Aug 20, 2021)

And how about that 'happily ever after business.'  When is that supposed to kick in?


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## feywon (Aug 20, 2021)

helenbacque said:


> And how about that 'happily ever after business.'  When is that supposed to kick in?



When we realize that happiness is an inside job, that we are responsible for finding our own joy and peace of mind--in spite of what 'life', the world throws at us.

Or from another angle: Be careful about giving others the power to make you happy, because it is a two sided coin and those same people can make you miserable.


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## Verisure (Aug 20, 2021)

helenbacque said:


> And how about that 'happily ever after business.'  When is that supposed to kick in?


Good question. Most of those people who played Mr. Dandy and Miss Goody Two-Shoes either crashed in aeroplanes & Porsches,  OD'd on drugs & booze, or took their own lives. It's enough to break your heart.


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## Nathan (Aug 20, 2021)

Nathan said:


> We have similar tastes for entertainment back in the day.    I have to add Outer Limits, One Step Beyond, Night Gallery, Thriller...uh, a couple others I've forgotten.   I'll probably remember later around 3AM.* *


Well I slept through that 3AM recall event(sleeping goood);  I was thinking that Gary Collins was a main character in one of those mystery/thriller type TV series of the...late 60s /early 70s, but I guess I was mistaken. Maybe a Gary Collins look-alike...I'll keep searching my brain.


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## feywon (Aug 20, 2021)

Nathan said:


> Well I slept through that 3AM recall event(sleeping goood);  I was thinking that Gary Collins was a main character in one of those mystery/thriller type TV series of the...late 60s /early 70s, but I guess I was mistaken. Maybe a Gary Collins look-alike...I'll keep searching my brain.


Checking Gary Collins' IMDb page he guest starred in some of those types of shows between 1972 and 1977 In both Night Gallery and The Sixth Sense he played Dr. Michael Rhodes  some sort of researcher i think. Plus a lot of other things. Here's link to that page.
i have IMDb bookmarked so if i'm having trouble remembering a title or a performers name and my 'synapse cascade' method (relax and remember everything you can related to what you want to recall, works for me 85-90% of the time) isn't working or it's something someone else wants to know but i'm unsure--i can look it up quickly.  You can look up by movie/TV show titles, or by actor's names. Because 'recognition' is more reliable than recall when you see a title on the actor's filmography.
PS: i checked the link to be sure it works, if there's an ad at top you can scroll down to the wanted info.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004833/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1


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## Verisure (Aug 20, 2021)

feywon said:


> Checking Gary Collins' IMDb page he guest starred in some of those types of shows between 1972 and 1977 In both Night Gallery and The Sixth Sense he played Dr. Michael Rhodes  some sort of researcher i think. Plus a lot of other things. Here's link to that page.
> i have IMDb bookmarked so if i'm having trouble remembering a title or a performers name and my 'synapse cascade' method (relax and remember everything you can related to what you want to recall, works for me 85-90% of the time) isn't working or it's something someone else wants to know but i'm unsure--i can look it up quickly.  You can look up by movie/TV show titles, or by actor's names. Because 'recognition' is more reliable than recall when you see a title on the actor's filmography.
> PS: i checked the link to be sure it works, if there's an ad at top you can scroll down to the wanted info.
> 
> https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004833/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1


Since you're the expert - who was Mr. Peepers? Was he _"what a chunk of chocolate!"_ Arnold Stang?


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## Nathan (Aug 20, 2021)

feywon said:


> Checking Gary Collins' IMDb page he guest starred in some of those types of shows between 1972 and 1977 In both Night Gallery and The Sixth Sense he played Dr. Michael Rhodes  some sort of researcher i think. Plus a lot of other things. Here's link to that page.
> https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004833/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1


Bingo!   Thanks!


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## feywon (Aug 20, 2021)

Verisure said:


> Since you're the expert - who was Mr. Peepers? Was he _"what a chunk of chocolate!"_ Arnold Stang?


Wally Cox. 
I remembered, because i've read about his long friendship with Marlon Brando,  but double checked.  

Dad always said the really smart person isn't one who memorises a bunch of things, they are the person who knows how to get the info they need when they need it. While true it was also amusing because we both needed little effort to memorise things. But the older i get the more i appreciate his lessons in research.  These days with internet its so much easier, faster.


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## Pepper (Aug 20, 2021)

Verisure said:


> Since you're the expert - who was Mr. Peepers? Was he _"what a chunk of chocolate!"_ Arnold Stang?


Mr. Peepers was Wally Cox.  Arnold Stang-thanks for the memory!


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## Verisure (Aug 20, 2021)

feywon said:


> Wally Cox.
> I remembered, because i've read about his long friendship with Marlon Brando,  but double checked.


Oh yeah, that's right. Wally Cox, Arnold Stang and that guy from Ghostbusters (Rick Moranis) are all the same characters to me. 


feywon said:


> Dad always said the really smart person isn't one who memorises a bunch of things, they are the person who knows how to get the info they need when they need it. While true it was also amusing because we both needed little effort to memorise things. But the older i get the more i appreciate his lessons in research.  These days with internet its so much easier, faster.


I agree with Dad! Knowing things "by heart" is what chimpanzees do.


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## Verisure (Aug 20, 2021)

Pepper said:


> Mr. Peepers was Wally Cox.  Arnold Stang-thanks for the memory!


Thank you. I always confused those two.


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## Chris P Bacon (Aug 21, 2021)

I was under the impression t


Verisure said:


> Well done, Chris!


Thanks, I used to listen to that with my grandfather on the car radio. A nice memory of a different America.


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## Verisure (Aug 21, 2021)

Chris P Bacon said:


> I was under the impression t
> 
> Thanks, I used to listen to that with my grandfather on the car radio. A nice memory of a different America.


 I am only 74 so I remember it only vaguely. I do remember the laugh as well as I remember the violin "screech" of the violins in the film Psycho.


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## Verisure (Aug 21, 2021)

Many know who Yogi Bear was but how many remember where the name stems from?


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## feywon (Aug 21, 2021)

i was thinking inspired by certain Baseball Player known for his malapropisms. But that seemed too simple so i checked--son of gun...


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## Verisure (Aug 21, 2021)

feywon said:


> i was thinking inspired by certain Baseball Player known for his malapropisms. But that seemed to simple so i checked--son of gun...


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## Mr. Ed (Aug 22, 2021)

Of course we grew up with fantasy view of the world.  In the name of entertainment subtle network mind control.


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## Mr. Ed (Aug 22, 2021)

My fictional/nonfictional literature consisted of the escapism of works by Lewis Carrol, Douglas Adams, The Ultimate Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Greek Mythology, and practical living skills by Thaddeus Golas "The Lazy Man's Guide to Enlightenment" 

Nowadays I seldom take time to read a book as most of my entertainment comes from video and movie subscriptions watch on a 68 inch Samsung Smart TV.  Favorite movie & tv genres are horror mystery thrillers. I enjoy watching dark tv shows and movies, I like action thriller mysteries, science fiction and fantasy. I tolerate Rom-Coms I watch with my wife and course political satire movies. Don't dig talk or reality based shows, I like to see the underdog overcome immeasurable odds and sticking it the power players who self righteous disregard for the little guy that through unification of the people topples the Great and powerful OZ into submission.


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