The Nero Chronicles: Of New Resolve and Looking Past Post

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Of New Resolve and Looking Past Post

New years are ever filled with good intentions, promises of fresh leaves turned and shiny penny resolutions. And yet it's also comforting to know that though our world in flux may be, some things remain essentially the same. Nero was struck by this ricocheting thought while reading through the two Munro Leaf books pictured. For those unfamiliar with these charming works, don't let the simple stick figures or the seemingly straightforward titles pull the proverbial wool over your eyes. Emily Post this is not, nor is it a sophomoric step-by-step guide to sitting up straight and chewing lips-sealed during breakfast at Tiffany's. No, these tomes encompass so much more.

Published in 1936 and '46, the lessons in grace and courtesy -- the overarching idea of humanity as a diverse but connected unit and individuals as dignified beings worthy of understanding, compassion and respect -- is so forward-thinking for its time, so different from the isolationist, protectionist views of a planet poised between cataclysmic World Wars, that Nero found herself flipping back to double-check publications dates again and again.

Much like a non-denominational, spiritual Baedeker, Munro touts Honesty, Fairness, Strength and Wisdom as the keys to achieving balance and healthy relationships with others. With anecdotal parables like trying to get along with a lone companion on a tiny desert island, accompanied by charmingly crude illustrations, Munro paints a deeply soulful, philosophical picture of human interactions and of achieving a sense of balance in the world first by reining in and redirecting the opposing forces within ourselves.

The messages and directions espoused at first glance appear simplistic but are anything but. It is often said that the simplest things in life are the most complex to master -- simple cooking, simple art, less is more style, finding le mot juste and stopping there -- and these books prove that in an understated, humble and poetic way. They are as relevant now as when they were first released, and certainly serve as much as an almanac for adults as they do a teaching tool for children.

And so perhaps the simplest lesson to be learned in the new year, the one that eternally persists, is that we must strive to be good to one another. Shove and box social mores into a corner and call them Manners if you must, or belittle our actions by tritely labeling them Behavior, but at the heart of the inner struggle is simply that drive to be good -- no, to be better -- to one another.

Labels: All images by blogger

4 comments:

christine {bijouandboheme} said...: As always, you inspire with your words my dear- I've never read these but so look forward to...thank you for the introduction:); January 3, 2012 12:21 PM
Amanda Hill said...: Love it, a simple but better way to live!; January 3, 2012 2:14 PM
Alcira Molina-Ali said...: Dearest Christine,

That's very sweet, as are these little tomes.
Great to have at hand for the young or the young at heart, I find them quite inspiring.
Cheers, Alcira; January 8, 2012 9:17 AM
Alcira Molina-Ali said...: Hi there Amanda,

Indeed, a simpler set of directives, yet challenging just the same.
Here's to trying to live with better intent.
Alcira; January 8, 2012 9:18 AM