Mahiya Rade, Week 14: A Good Rabbit Never Gives Up
A favorite childhood show of mine was Peter Rabbit. Along with the novels Wind in the Willows and Watership Down, this show was one of my favorite cozy woodland narratives centered around plucky anthropomorphic critters. Peter Rabbit and his friends spend each episode getting into awesome mischief that usually involves vegetal theft. They spend the rest of the episode running away from the fox trying to eat them, or the gardener trying to eat them, or the owl trying to eat them, or—you get the idea. But each time, no matter how grim the situation seems, the rabbits always come up with some ingenious solution to avoid the crockpot. They hide in the gardener's flower pots, or tickle the evil fox with a feather to distract him. Peter Rabbit's motto is: "A good rabbit never gives up!"
I promise this relates to my life. One time, my dad and I were caught in rain that would be poorly described as a shower but more accurately as a spewing faucet. My dad and I sought shelter in the covered parking lots of an apartment complex, but we were separated from our own apartment by several blocks. To get home, we'd have to cross the veritable columns of water pounding the unsheltered streets. With no end to rain in sight, my dad and I were trapped, and it was growing late. But then...I remembered that a good rabbit never gives up (yes I know how cheesy I sound right now). Scanning my surrounding for a solution, and lo and behold, my eyes fell upon an enormous cardboard box on the ground of the parking lot, empty, awaiting the garbage. I told my dad my bright idea. Together, we ripped the cardboard box apart into sheets we could hold over our heads, shielding ourselves from the rain. In this way, we made our way home dry and triumphant. And I felt ridiculously proud of myself, all because I remembered some silly but very determined rabbit.
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Hello, Mahiya! I had fun reading your blog about Peter Rabbit, even though I myself have never seen the show. I especially found enjoyable the way you were able to learn a real life lesson from what is seemingly just a kids’ cartoon show. There is a sort of whimsy and childhood-like carefreeness that you were able to capture with the little adventure you had with your dad; the joyous moment when you guys resorted to using scrap pieces of cardboard for shelter from the rain was evident. Furthermore, I specifically liked the fact that you tied a childhood favorite show to a moment in your life when you persevered, even if it was just getting through the rain without getting wet (or at least as least as possible). “A good rabbit never gives up,” no matter how kiddish it is, is nonetheless a good mantra to live by. Although Peter Rabbit and his friends seem to constantly be evading some kind of danger, they seem to be able to make it through whatever troubles they are facing. Thank you for your blog this week, and I cannot wait to read what you write next.
ReplyDeleteHi Mahiya! I loved reading your blog and the descriptive ways in which you presented Peter Rabbit and how you connected him to your life. Though I haven't seen the show, I saw the live-action film that came out some years ago, and like you, loved the story and the concept behind it. I like the connection you made between the show and a moment in you life specifically because the way in which you described your memory I feel perfectly embodied not only the message the show intended to spread but also the nature of a young child making a core memory with their dad. You beautifully described how a phrase, as cheesy as it is, can actually be incredibly useful, which I feel makes it an amazing phrase above anything else. Forget the cheesiness of it, if you're able to use it in your real life to solve real problems, then it's of course a useful and effective phrase. Thank you for sharing this memory in your blog, and I'm excited to read your next blog!
ReplyDeleteHello Mahiya! It’s great that a cartoon/show you watched as a kid gave you the perseverance and critical thinking skills that helped you and your father on that rainy day. So many children in newer generations have never had the pleasure of watching a 10-20 minute television show where lessons were taught to kids. Personally, my favorite show growing up were episodes that involved Chip and Dale, the two little chipmunks constantly outsmarting Donald Duck or other larger counterparts. I was always fascinated by how much the two little chipmunks could achieve through outsmarting their adversaries and I too looked for opportunities in my life to outsmart my parents, although I was never successful…
ReplyDeleteI like how you structured your blog into two distinct sections: both memories, but one which talks about the show and the other about an application of lessons learned in your own life. It’s very logical and easy to follow, which I really appreciated. Also, as someone who never watched (but heard about) Peter Rabbit, I liked your visual of the show to give readers a visual reminder on what you were referring to.
Thanks so much for sharing and I look forward to what you have to say in the next blog!
Hi Mahiya, I loved the wholesomeness of your blog. I find it amazing that you found such inspiration from your favorite show and applied it to your own life. Even if it may be a little cheesy, it demonstrates how effective core childhood memories are at influencing decisions later down the road. Your blog was extremely well written, and I thoroughly enjoyed the vivid imagery with which you detailed the situation you and your dad were in as well as the evident passion with which you described the various adventures of Peter Rabbit. Reading your blog created a happy connection between the carefree feeling of being a child and our lives now, showing how that feeling can still exist as you grow older.
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