A True Hero and a Stop at Willoughby      

“A dimension not only of sight and sound, but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land of imagination.”

How many times have you heard that introduction? If you have not heard it at least 10,000 times then you must closely examine the choices you have made to-date, and immediately watch The Twilight Zone.

It appears many are cognizant of this pop culture reference – whether you are reading this in Minnesota or Sweden; in Ontario or Île-de-France; remarkably most know about Rod Serling’s masterpiece.

He knew his social commentary, way ahead of its time, would only get passed the network executives if he camouflaged his storytelling in a safe context – hmmm, like say, science fiction.

Tired of waiting to see which way the winds were going to blow next; Serling was determined to shine a light on the insincere mask of the American dream and elementary family, hinting at something more menacing below the surface. In this way, The Twilight Zone was purposely pointing at specific modern targets. His plan was to use the medium of television to effectively convey his condemnation of combat, corporations, and discrimination.

Serling once said, “The writer’s role is to be a menacer of the public’s conscience. He must have a position, a point of view. He must see the arts as a vehicle of social criticism and he must focus on the issues of his time.”

My first exposure to the show was during the annual July 4^th Marathon in 1983, (the first one was Thanksgiving, 1980). Ohhhhh the elation when I saw the preview for the upcoming day of delight, on WPIX Channel 11, in New York City. These teasers – shown repeatedly during the commercials of the true evil empire’s baseball games, (more about the Yankees in a future blog) – titillated all senses and produced the purest anticipatory yearning. You see The Twilight Zone was and is the grandest storytelling in the history of home theater.

While the multitudes were accepting the advancements of technology and science as unquestionably positive, Serling was beckoning us to pause and evaluate. There were few whomever comprehended the dangers of how extreme thought could obliterate tolerance better than him. The Twilight Zone showed us the cost of being too prideful or pejorative. It helped fully illuminate the destructiveness of paranoia.

Unfortunately, the things Serling and the other writers cautioned us about still exist in society. People continue to be suspicious of fellow citizens, differences are not always celebrated, and empathy for the powerless seems to be at all-time low.

However, the fact remains this program endures. Why?

Perhaps the world is desperate for voices of clarity, intelligent warnings, and people not permitting their anxieties and fears to turn them into monsters.

We could certainly benefit from heroes like Mr. Serling today, because in this specific case, it is not a misuse of that word.

There is a character in one of Rod’s classics who is exhausted by his miserable job and wife. He begins dreaming, on his train ride home each night, of an idyllic town, where he can “slow down to a walk and live his life full measure.”

I leave it to you to find this episode and look closely through the prism offered. It reflects all the confusion, possibility, and ultimately beauty we are capable of discovering during our journey here, outside the confines of The Twilight Zone.

DID YOU KNOW our podcast link is up? https://dreamvisions7radio.com/the-pear-tree-project/ – please take a listen if the spirits moves you & Thank You!