LAYMAN'S CANDY25/06/21
This is not about a man who lays about with a sweet lolly in his mouth, it is rather about a comrade's dream of a satisfying sweet fetish like a candy. A 'layman's candy' have bright red and white spirals praising its pleasant flavour, a mouth-watering sight. No child, boy or girl has ever refused a layman's candy.
A little while ago, grand dad used to go fishing usually on Saturdays as part of his routine. He got used to the task as it became his favourite chore for it provided a meal for his family. But the best part is the feeling of the fish pulling at the end of the line when it hooks, the excitement rushes right through his body. He likes it that much he dreams and wakes up with a smile!
Today he still remembers the cool times in the good old days and he wants to share it with his grandchildren. But the kids don't really hear him because their heads are facing down upon the glass screen of their devices.
And while his story is a true account, to the kids it's a myth. This is because nowadays, no one goes fishing. They buy fish from the market as the norm and besides, fishing is forbidden. The kids think the old man is dreaming.
Now the old man of the sea thought, knowledge of the olden days has to be passed down the generations, but they don't hear. So the old man thought to himself that he has to be creative and draw the children away from their devices. The trouble is, the children themselves are plugged into their fix with their own modern layman's candies. That's how they socialise and catch up with their friends on social media.
What was a custom to the old man in his childhood days formed a tradition that Saturday was fishing day. This tradition is symbolised by sharing of fish with family on Sunday. The old man thought to himself that he needs an attractive method of drawing the kids' attention away from their devices. People believe their tools, devices and social behaviour have somewhat changed from the olden days or Tradition to the new or Modernity. So progress has somewhat improves the means of survival, or so they thought.
The old man is talking about a time dominated by Tradition; the kids are caught in a time celebrating Modernity. It is distinguished by age, methods and types of society. Tradition refers to the past and associates with earlier generations while Modernity refers to the modern and associates with the younger generation.
The methods and tools of expressions are symbols; myths; mysteries; stories/text; art including music and so on. The old man has to apply the best method to express the truth and appeal to the kids at the same time. Uhmn… how about layman's candy! So the layman's candy describes the sensual attraction planned to capture the kids' attention. The use of tradition and myths suggests a time in the past, is contrasted with modernity in the modern.
A type of traditional society was organised according to religious and cultural values. Social roles were designed to highlight the difference between genders. Well actually, the olden custom and fashion somewhat gave easier roles to female because they are less physically strong and difficult roles to male because they are stronger. But the social roles symbolised gender with work and chores a work and around the house. Women got jealous as men were allocated not only dominant roles but also responsible ones.
While roles were sanctioned by social and moral order, business had also served a social obligation by making good of the consequences of material developments.
However, women couldn't handle it anymore, they had enough of being dominated and subjugated with minor roles. They rose to overthrow the establishment and free themselves from traditional binds of what they called patriarchal society. They also influenced other women to leave their dominating husbands and become single parents. This had also left the children without fathers. And in the absence of fathers, kids took the opportunity do whatever they wish.
So the children were also liberated from binds of tradition and into the open arms of subjective materialism. Their naïve freedom predisposed them easy targets of corporate consumer propaganda. Their new found freedom was exercised with experimentation in alcohol and drugs among other things until they were hooked. And ever since then, addiction and mental illness became the norm.
Society finally crumbled when wealth and resources were transferred to the private sector. And the rise of liberal materialism separated the rich from the poor in a dichotomy. That's not all, the linear abstract economy was the wooden horse that veiled Information Technology and introduced A.I. to what's left of society. Tradition is now truly buried when algorithm transformed the natural world to a virtual digital matrix.
Traditional grandad has to navigate his way around children and devices carefully or he'll trip over some wired snooping traps. He is facing an uphill task against the speed of A.I., he has to use a method to get the kids' attention and appeal to their emotions and desires. But the only activity he knows best is fishing.
Grandad is the only link the kids have of tradition. And we are talking about families, IDs and the natural world. At the same time, kids have a right to their whakapapa, but their parents are entities of the subjective material.
Now, grand dad is imparted with the task of saving the natural world. He thought about unplugging his grandchildren but no, he's not allowed. So, withdrawing from the enormity of the challenge, he casually placed his hand in his pocket and all of a sudden he remembered! He wakes up smiling…