As I have stated before, The Velveteen Rabbit by Marjorie Williams is one of my all-time favorite stories period! I know it was written for children but the profound truths it contains are applicable to adults from all walks of life. For the past few posts, I have been analyzing and commenting on a few of the key phrases from the conversation between the Skin Horse and the Velveteen Rabbit on what it means and takes to become Real.
We have discovered that the process of becoming Real takes time, love and patience. We have also learned that Real does not happen to everyone. Today, I want to focus my attention on one of the more curious phrases. It goes like this: “Generally by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in your joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”
The first truth from this phrase is that the process of becoming Real often wears one out. On the surface, this reality might appear a bit disturbing. “Generally by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in your joints and very shabby.” There you go! That’s what I’m talking about! I want to be well-worn in the end! In an age when appearance is everything, the thought of having your hair loved off, your eyes dropping out, becoming loose in the joints and very shabby is just plain scary! While this is a bit scary at first glance, there is a deeper message here. These physical manifestations are merely representative of the breakdown of things that really don’t matter when all is said and done. What are some of those things that really don’t matter that much: Some of them are:
- Position
- Power
- Prestige
- Financial means
- Beauty/good looks
- Age
- Possessions
- Talent
Get the picture? So many of the things we use to judge the validity of others and ourselves really carry far less weight than we give them. In the end, none of these things have anything to do with being Real.
For many on this planet, this truth is difficult to swallow. How can we have any worth if the things we so desperately pursue and preserve really don’t matter that much in the end? One final, giant defense mechanism that stands in our way of becoming real is to call those who eschew the desperate pursuit of the things listed above, is to call those people UGLY! When that happens, we create an unnecessary divide between people and we miss the joys of Realness!
The primary redeeming message here is the final phrase, “But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.” There you have it! When people who have found Real routinely hear how ugly or unacceptable or unwanted they are simply because of WHO they are, there is a temptation to give in and return to the fake. The temptation can be strong indeed; however, if those who are Real stay the course, they will discover that the opinions of others really do not matter because, “once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”
What do I choose? I choose Real! How about you?
Peace!
Mark E. Hundley
Please visit my Amazon Author Page to read more about my books and short fiction. Thanks for reading!
