Once upon a time,
in a land far, far away, there was a young woman, who had the
circumstance of being born into a group that was Definitely Different
from the majority. Sometimes they were persecuted, and sometimes
tolerated. It all depended on how their neighbors felt about them at
any given moment. And it wasn’t her particular fault; she was just
“born that way”, as they used
to say, back then. “Well you know Jack,” people would gossip, “Nice
enough fellow, but he’s....” and then their voices would drop and they
would whisper, so the children couldn’t hear. “Too bad he was born that way. Could’ve gone far,
but....."
Well, at that time the Ruler of The
Land was having a Difficult Poltical Moment — he’d been celebrating a
Triumphant Political Moment, and it had turned nasty after a Key
Administrative Figure had embarrassed him, at a major Social
Eventno less! “Get yourself a new Key Administrative Figure” his
advisers quietly murmured to him. “It will restore you with the public.
Oh.... and make it have populist appeal. Instead of selecting from the
usual ranks of the elite, throw the contest open to all in the land!”
Then they slyly smiled. “As a matter of fact, make it a rule that
everyone has to participate in this contest.....after all, it will
measure their loyalty to you. For who could refuse such a close
assocation with you?”
Well, as it turned out, this young
woman and her Definitely Different group rather easily could have. The
Ruler of the Land tended to particpate in Social Activities* that they
just couldn’t join in heartily. For some reason, instead of rejoicing
in those activities, they felt awkward, or even queasy. If they
could manage to get themselves going, they often found it impossible to
stay for the full length of time. They vastly preferred Alternate
Activities with each other, which brought them joy and a sense of
well-being. Of course, it was impossible to explain that to the members
of the majority, let alone to the Ruler of The Land. The Social
Majority could not possibly comprehend why anyone wouldn’t want to
participate in a Social Activity. And they all thought Alternate
Activities were disgusting. “Why, you mean you....” and “But what do
you mean, you don’t like, how can you tell, you’ve never tried it.....”
and so forth were commonly flung at them. So the Definitely Different group kept
coming up with excuses such as “I’m sorry, but I need to bathe my cat”
and so forth to parry invitations to Social Activities. Of course, the
irony was they weren’t asked to these that often as most Social
Majority members were, anyway — still, everyone blamed them for not participating.
However, in addition to the
already-existing perception of them as “deviant”, the ghastly
fact was, the embarrassment by the Key Administrative Figure had
occurred at a Social Event when many of the Definitely Different group
had actually particpated. (Mind you, against their sense of
better judgment). It had been seen as a major milestone in their
acceptance — they had been invited, after all, a truly major Social
Event, with the Ruler of The Land. Never mind that getting through it
called for pretending to be someone they weren’t and a great deal of
quease-control: they were part of society-at-large, finally! Then that
unfortunate Key Administrative Figure business happened.....
Many arguments had since flown back
and forth, both in the group itself and the general public, as to
whether or not they were, in fact, responsible in some way for inciting
the embarrassment of the Ruler of the Land by the said Key
Administrative Figure, if only by their deviant presence. Some thought
they ought to just stay away from further Social Events — look what
happened at the last one! But many others argued that if they did not
participate in the national search for a Key Administrative Figure,
further suspicion would fall upon them, and perhaps people would blame
them even more than they already did. Besides, it was being made
obvious that this was not a totally voluntary participation. Who would
dare tell the Ruler of The Land that they didn’t want to be his Key
Administrative Figure?
So, social pressures won out, and
the young woman went to the contest, laden with much advice. “Don’t
worry, no one would ever guess....” she heard frequently, “you could
pass very well, you don’t seem that
way.” Indeed, at the last minute her nearest and dearest astonished her
by advising that she not reveal at all her group affiliation! How was
she to take it? These were people who, day in and out, had suffered the
humiliation of being publicly identified as members of the Definitely
Different group, and had born it with grace and bitter humor — yet they
were telling her to forget who she was. “You’re young, you’re
different, you have an opportunity we didn’t have....go! Enjoy!” So she
went, much confused, yet still determined somehow to maintain the truth
of who she was, even in a very alien environment.
Much to her surprise, the Social
Majority seemed to like her quite a lot (not knowing who she was).
“You’re quite presentable, just what the Ruler of the Land needs!” she
heard, and she was given a great deal of help to make sure that she’d
win his favor. Everyone just took her story that she was from a very
back-country region and “didn’t quite know the ways of the land” well.
She had eager tutors in how to participate in Social Activity (though
it still turned her stomach), and at the last.....
....she became the Key
Administrative Figure.
And now what was she to do? She
couldn’t reveal who she was. bad as her being of the Definitely
Different group was, it would pale compared to adding on the not having
told the Social Majority that she was that way. After all, these people
prided themselves on identifying the DD’s, as they called them, with a
glance: “I can tell one a mile away!” they’d smug to each other —
sometimes to a DD, even. To disabuse them of their notion that DD’s
were a different species altogether would be just too much for them to
take. And she couldn’t just drop it all and go home.... she had too
many ties, already, with her new position. Too much that she couldn’t
leave behind. Why, she
thought, if every DD.... Definitely Different group member
(she corrected herself) walked off
the job, this place would quit functioning! And then off she’d
go to another Social Activity, hoping against hope that it would rain
so she could quietly stay home and quit pretending. After some time she
acquired a cat. The cat didn't get bathed as often as she claimed (she
wasn't going to risk her life that often) but it's alleged feline
grooming needs helped to get her out of the some of the less pressing
Social Activities.
Then one day, there was an
unexpected message from her Nearest and Dearest. “Some Other
Administrative Figure has gotten to the Ruler of The Land” she was
told, “and the ROTL plans to make sure that we don't pass on our
Definitely Different ways. Plus, they think that we contaminate The
Land.” If the plans went through, all Definitely Different group
members would have have to undergo re-education, form households with
those of the Social Majority, and raise their children to be Social
Majority group members.
Well, the young woman was shocked.
She knew the Ruler of The Land quite well — very well indeed —
and knew him to be someone who was, not exactly a great or original
thinker, but still, not necessarily one who hated Definitely Different
group members. Though he wasn’t above making tasteless jokes about them
now and again, and opined that they ought to give up their Definitely
Different ways and join the Social Majority, for the Good of All.
Atill, he was courteous to those DD’s (Definitely Different Group
Members, she corrected herself) that he had on staff, even
inquiring about their families. The
Other Administrative Figure must have really done a number on him....
what’d he do, get to him when he was half-asleep? Probably promised him his poll numbers
would go up..... Oh well, what was she to do? She sent a message
back to her Nearest and Dearest.
“Look, if I tell the ROTL that I’m
Definitely Different then I’ll be sacked, and it will be no good for
me, let alone for you. Besides, he’s real hard to get hold of, and I
only see him on official business when he summons me. I’ve
supposedly no reason to initiate action on this! Doing so will
definitely make me look suspicious — I’ve avoided anything to do with
our group since getting here!”
The answer came back swift and
stinging and sounding much more like she remembered her Nearest and
Dearest, pre-contest: “Don’t think you’ll be protected by virtue of
your position. Besides, how do you know that maybe there isn’t some
good reason that you actually got as far as you did? He knows
you. He can see you’re a human, just like he is. You have a voice with
him that we don’t. Maybe you’re where you are to do some good.....”
And so, by plot mechinations too
convoluted to print here, the young woman staged a dramatic protest
moment with the Ruler of The Land. It ended with her saying, “And sir,
this Other Administrative Figure plans to make sure that there will be
no one like me, ever again, or my group!”
“No one like you?” the ROTL
puzzled. He peered at her. “Why not? You’re the best Key Administrative
Figure I’ve ever had, you’ve won five Quality Awards and are a Model
Member of society. Though you do seem to bathe your cat quite a lot.
Anyway, why would he want to keep you from passing on your excellent
traits to the next generation... or your group.....oh.”
He got it and sat down heavily. And
after that they had a frank and honest discussion about just what it
meant to be Defintely Different, and she was able to disabuse him of
some notions he’d retained from what he’d heard in sixth grade from the
Fount of Misinformation (a stock fixture at every Social Majority
school.) At the last he sat there, not quite sure what to make out of
his Key Administrative Figure being that
way. “And I never would have guessed!” he shook his head.
The denoument was tricky — he still
had to bother about those poll numbers — but it involved the members of
the Definitely Different group coming forth in strength. This, of
course, scared the living daylights of some members of the Social
Majority, and some did react quite violently. However, it all ended
well, as by uniting they were able to fend off the planned legislative
onset, and even secured for themselves rights they hadn’t dared hope
for. And when all was said and done, the young woman and the ROTL
agreed that it was good that there were Definitely Different members,
and even that it might not be bad to have their insight on running
things. As a matter of fact, in the next generation one of them was the
Next Ruler of The Land. But that is another story for another time.
* "Jews get excluded for much more significant reasons than
social activities!" you may fuss. Oh? What's the biggest objections
usually made about us? We don't eat the same food as those around us,
don't want to intermarry and don't worship the deities (or reigning
ideals) of the countries we live in. Rarely has any nation objected
that we don't steal, don't murder and so forth. So as strange as it may
sound, food preferences and religious issues - things that have less to
do with ethics than with what some would see as preferences. Ever try
to explain to someone why you just don't eat pork sausage without
making them feel that somehow, they are committing a crime? (The
nearest equivalent today that I can think of is vegetarians, who often
seem to incur some of the same social upset that Jews have had over the
centuries.)
Purim, I was told, is the only celebration that will endure once
Moshiach comes. What, no Pesach, no Rosh Hoshanah, no Shavuot, no
Succot? And why not?
There are many reasons given, yet
here is mine. Purim is a situation that endures. The giving of the
Torah, the the deliverance from Egypt, the creation of the world....
all these are things that occurred at a particular point in time. They
are not occuring now, except in a very mystical fashion (for the world
is created every minute, and we are all present at Har Sinai in that
moment).
Purim, we have each day. There is
injustice, and we are safe, and do we fight it? There is prejudice, and
do we speak up?
