Some sage advice from Wonderland in lockdown.
Alice had to negotiate her way through the garden of 'critical flowers'. She gets confused about which way to go with all the signposts, and the wise Cheshire cat says: “If you don’t know which way to go, then it doesn’t matter which path you take!” The cat is her only friend in wonderland, and always leaves Alice with a smile.
The Caterpillar, laid back and all knowing at the end of it’s life cycle, seems to be forever questioning Alice. “Who are you?” Alice replies, “I knew who I was this morning, but I’ve changed so many times since then!” This important life question makes Alice search for the answer, and she sees herself as constantly changing, growing, into something, shrinking back from something, taking a bit of this, or a drink of that, to taste or experiment. The Caterpillars advice is to 'keep your temper"!
Lured to wonderland by a talking white rabbit., Alice recognizes how nervous and high-strung it is, forever worried about time, and terrified of being late for things, highlighting the important truth – worrying by itself never solves anything!
Tweedle Dum & Tweedle Dee love to argue, but never contradict each other. Often talk about having a battle, but never get around to it, distracted as they are by playing games. Sometimes we find ourselves having arguments and battles that to a sensible person like Alice, might not make a lot of sense. Quarreling when we don’t really want to fight, over silly little things – like broken rattles! There’s something to be said for picking our fights - or heading home for dinner, rather than risk being swept away by a black crow!
When Alice meets the Red Queen, it’s a crazy chaotic experience for her! “ I pictured to myself the Queen of Hearts as a sort of embodiment of ungovernable passion – a blind and aimless fury.” Lewis Carroll is reputed to have said. Which is ironical as she loses her head more often than any of her subjects, and that makes her and extremely poor role model!
Chaotic times happen to us all from time to time and sometimes we feel like we’re the only sane people in a world gone mad. Thank goodness for creativity in lockdown!
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