Sleep Monsters

Meet The Press

When Childhood Fears Come True Peggy Noonan “ "What's so terrible for the little kids who hear about Newtown is that the 'dream' monster is now real," said a friend. This from Peggy Noonan's interesting "When Childhood Fears Come True." (Behind a paywall, but I copied some of it)  I think what's happening here is not to much the "dream monster" being realized as actually being created.   I know that the "End of Earth" monster promulgated by too many "Yes, the earth will die in 5 billion years and here's why." science shows is in my grandson's head.  I mean to kids 5 billion and next year are pretty much the same. So monsters do not have to be real. My childhood fear was that a windy night sounded like a tidal wave rushing to engulf our house.  More than once I got out of bed to look, because I heard waves lapping the house. I think because a tidal wave hit Montrose Beach (on Lake Michigan), near Chicago's Loop stuck in my head.  This happened mostly in December, as I look back, because the real fear was I'd die before Christmas presents. More on point, in 1955 3 boys my age were found strangled in the forest preserve very near to where we kids played and caught catfish.  I never ever forgot that, but not once did I go to bed worried that I was next.  We, none of my gang, ever stopped playing in the "woods" because of that incident.  By the by, I stumbled across "Death Closes the Case of Boys’ Murders," five years ago.  Here's another cut from Noonan's article that I like. ‘ Religion, said Mr. Kennedy, "isn't supposed to explain such things" as Newtown. "That's not the task of religion, never has been." Religion has to do with the central mystery of existence—"the tremendous and gripping mystery" of being alive. "Joseph Campbell once said people don't need an explanation of their lives as much as they need an experience of being alive." ’ Which is pretty much, "Life sometimes sucks, live with it kid."  ”