Things just aren't what they seem....

Okay…so we know a person’s worldview is sustained throughout life, and although it may be differently articulated in subtle ways from time to time, a person’s worldview remains the same.

Seems simple enough, yes? The problem with worldview, however, is that we cannot readily name our own worldview, because we can’t get out of our own way long enough to see how we see things! Our worldview can’t stand up to the scrutiny of our own common sense, and even though we have the capacity to grasp what it is (and benefit from the knowledge), we cannot do so on our own.

In terms of Hillary, her worldview will always be things aren’t what they seem (or some subtle variation of that concept), but she would never just say that to us in plain language. What she does instead is communicate her worldview to us through her memories. From the millions and millions of childhood moments she might have remembered, she innocently (as in...without awareness) chooses the ones that clearly say things are not what they seem.

In other words, because memory is never random, Hillary “tells” us her worldview in what she chooses to remember. For example, in the “second look” memory, she relates a situation in which she mistakes turpentine for coke. What appears to be “delicious and refreshing” is actually an organic solvent used for thinning oil-based paints. It can cause renal failure when ingested, among other problems.

And by the way, one of the rewarding aspects of knowing one’s early memories is how helpful they can be in present time. Hillary might now choose to bring the turpentine memory to mind, if only to remind herself to pay attention to what she is consuming, lest it be poison (…like the negative press, for example.)

If we look a little deeper, we also observe that Hillary’s parents weren’t enough to keep her safe. We might wonder if that is something about her parents or something about parenting in general? Is safety for children a make-believe concept?

Parents and non-parents may answer differently, with parents pointing out that no matter how vigilant a parent is, a child can still get hurt. Non-parents, on the other hand, can often be heard insisting that if they were parents, their children would always be safe, no matter what it took! Herein we find the difference between experience and hope.

Indeed, if we want to observe real change in people, we can watch the metamorphosis of parents over the lifespan of their parenting! Perhaps you too have noticed how parents become increasingly humble with each passing year of their children’s lives.

In Hillary’s memory, her parents, or her parents’ surrogates, are not paying close enough attention to her at the time of her exploration, and she is able to gain access to turpentine disguised as a bottle of coke. Surely nothing is more inviting to a thirsty child than an open bottle of coke. And recall that children won’t try to drink anything at all, unless they are thirsty. If you doubt it, try forcing liquids on a child who is not feeling thirst. This suggests that Hillary was also “thirsty” and perhaps “hungry,” (just as she is now).

Metaphorically, in fact, our hunger and thirst push us forward….and in moving forward, we have every opportunity to learn and to grow, even though we risk getting hurt. In Hillary’s case, she apparently pushed forward on many occasions, resulting in a litany of injuries along the way. Evidently, the potential for hurt (in every sense of the word) has never stopped her, nor is it now. (Note: To read the earliest memory on which this review is based, see the post below, dated March 7, 2008.)

Giving Hillary a Second Look

To test the accuracy of Hillary Clinton's worldview, let's look at another of her early memories. Does her worldview hold true? What do you think? Please cast your vote for the worldview that best fits Hillary, based on her following memory...

As a toddler, I spotted a Coke bottle that painters in our apartment building had filled with turpentine. I began drinking it before anyone knew what I was doing. The adults around me reacted quickly to prevent serious consequences. The experience cured me of ingesting anything I wasn’t sure about. But as I grew up, even with watchful adults hovering close by, I still had more than my share of accidents: an arm scalded with boiling water, gashed ankles, knees, and eyebrows; and falling down the stairs.

~Hillary Clinton

Readers voted and here are the results:

Things aren't what the seem. - 72%

I am accident prone. - 0%

Life is dangerous. - 27%

Someone needs to be in charge - 0%

Over the rainbow, skies are...blue?

Hillary Clinton certainly stirs up controversy, and despite her apparent inability to secure the confidence of the American public at large, she has a remarkable record of firsts – First Lady for the United States; First Lady for the State of Arkansas; first female partner in the Rose Law Firm; first First Lady to run for public office; first female candidate elected senator from New York; first First Lady to be subpoenaed before a federal grand jury, and first woman in United States history to win a presidential party primary. How interesting that her early memory also contains a first…her first recollection of being totally scared.

I grabbed hold of my grandmother’s hand for comfort, only to discover that it was as clammy as mine. It was the first time I remember being thoroughly scared.

Perhaps you remember your first viewing of The Wizard of Oz, a magical and invitingly scary movie that leaves an indelible impression on all who view it. In her own early memory, Hillary is stunned to discover that during the flying monkey scene in Oz, her grandmother is as frightened as she is! Ironically, according to novelist Salman Rushdie, the idea that adults are weak and inadequate is the movie’s driving energy. He first viewed the film at age ten and now credits it with making him a writer.

According to Rushdie, the film’s “driving force is the inadequacy of adults, even good adults, and how the weakness of grown-ups forces children to take control of their own destinies.” In terms of our purpose here, therefore, we can conclude that although the movie’s worldview might be “someone needs to be in charge,” this is clearly not Hillary’s worldview.

To the contrary, even as evidenced by her many firsts, Hillary is in charge – both intentionally and by experience – as a first born, a First Lady, a first female senator, and a first female winner of a presidential party primary. An unconscious motivation to be in charge is not what drives her. Hillary already places herself at the helm. In fact, it is likely her authoritative presence that discomforts all those who look for men to steer the biggest ships.

Perhaps it is her apparent fearlessness that bothers some. Paradoxically, because she has a history of leadership, Hillary Clinton has experienced fear many times, and as a consequence, courage has become her strong suit.

One of her heroines is said to be Eleanor Roosevelt, credited with the quote, “Do one thing everyday that scares you.” How intriguing that Hillary retains an entire memory to remind her that everyone is scared…and thus, things are never as they appear to be.

Even as young as eight years old, she experiences the reality that safety is an illusion. So, all you voters out there…don’t allude yourself, she might be saying now. The Wizard of Oz is not the only one who is smoke and mirrors; even a Wizard named Barack has a few problems of his own.

Without doubt, therefore, Hillary Clinton’s worldview is “things aren’t what they seem.” Movie houses are said to be all about entertainment, yet children get kidnapped there. Adults are said to keep us safe, yet Grandmother is scared to death. Boys are said to be braver than girls, yet Brother is hiding under the seat.

Turns out, the real world is scary as hell, and nearly all of life is staged. People buy into the illusion of safety because it’s safer! If the ship is sinking, most don’t really want to know. Try telling them, and this is what you’ll get: “Hey man: I’m on vacation!”

What we see in Hillary’s memory is that she’s not going to be tricked, because life is a trick. Just look at her now – fighting for what she probably believes is her birthright: the democratic nomination for the U.S. Presidency. Even though she surely knows her nomination is a long shot, she presses on. Some say she was a good person to look after a misbehaving prince, so she might also a good person to look after a wayward country. Problem is, the U.S. is still in its adolescence, and apparently, we just don’t want to be mothered....

or do we? Again...things just aren't what they seem.

(Note: To read the earliest memory on which this review is based, see the post below, dated Friday, February 22, 2008.)

Hillary Clinton remembers...

I must have been about eight years old when my mother’s mother took me and my brother Hugh to see The Wizard of Oz. We went downtown to one of Chicago’s grand old movie palaces on a Sunday afternoon. I’d never been in so majestic a theater before.

On our way there, my grandmother kept warning us that little children sometimes got kidnapped by strangers from city movie houses. When we reached our seats, she sat between us and looped her arms around my brother and me to protect us from harm, real and imagined.

The scenarios she conjured up were enough to give us goose bumps even before the movie started. By the time those weird-looking winged monkeys flew out of the witch’s castle and Dorothy and Toto were grabbed and taken away, kids were screaming and my brother was trying to climb under his seat to hide. I grabbed hold of my grandmother’s hand for comfort, only to discover that it was as clammy as mine. It was the first time I remember being thoroughly scared. ~Hillary Clinton

Based on her early memory, what will you say is Hillary Clinton’s worldview? (NOTE: Poll is now closed, with results listed below.)

1. Things aren’t what they seem. (6 votes - 37%)
2. Monkeys fly. (0 votes - 0%)
3. Life is dangerous. (2 votes - 12%)
4. Someone needs to be in charge. (8 votes - 50%)

Please cast your ballot in the poll to the right. Thank you!