A Series of Unfortunate Events

“It is always sad when someone leaves home, unless they are simply going around the corner and will return in a few minutes with ice-cream sandwiches.” 
― Lemony Snicket


Lately, I have been catching up on the second season of A Series of Unfortunate Events on Netflix. I never read the books as a kid, nor do I remember any of my friends reading them. Even when the movie came out quite a few years back now the series did not come to my attention. I think as a kid I wanted to read a book with a happy ending, as most books have.  As I watch the series I keep thinking about what parent would let their kid read such a depressing story, or even why I continue watching it. 

This thought has nagged at me the past few days and I think I have finally come up with an answer. The adults in this series, at least most of them, are quite ignorant and oblivious and it is up to the children to face their situation and figure out a way to find out more about their parent's death and bring Count Olaf, a murderous yet musical villain, to justice. This series not only teaches children to rely on themselves but also helps them realize that just because they are young does not mean they are incapable of making a change. 

Perhaps it is series like this that help encourage my fellow students to march on Washington when the adults, at least it feels like, would rather turn a blind eye than listen to our accusations about a murderer hiding among us. Sometimes this is a person, like when people tried to warn the authorities about the Parkland shooter well-before the shooting took place, or the guns themselves. I'm not going to go into some long spiel on gun-control and my thoughts on it because I do not feel like I have my ideas sorted yet, but I will say that something needs to change. If it is us students that have to do the dirty work for someone to listen then so be it. 

“At times the world may seem an unfriendly and sinister place, but believe that there is much more good in it than bad. All you have to do is look hard enough. and what might seem to be a series of unfortunate events may in fact be the first steps of a journey.” 
― Lemony Snicket

Personally, I want my (future) children to stand up for what they believe in, know they can make a difference, and remember that the most important things can be learned from books and from your own imagination. I look forward to reading this book series with my children and showing them that books can do more than just provide an escape for a little while, they can also enlighten you and help equip you to take on the world. 

~MG