Michael Landon has kind of ruined an entire generation, I think. His portrayal of Pa Ingalls has made so many people long for yesteryear, when the good people were good, the bad people were bad, and every hour closes with a life lesson.
Don't get wrong, I love "Little House" as much as the next person. I like the idea of self-reliance and family bonding and Pa Ingalls unbuttoning that top button of his shirt. I like it all. However, "Little House" has a big flaw and it is one that I didn't recognize until I started spending time in Ethiopia, where many people, especially in the country, live much like spunky Laura Ingalls. "Little House" doesn't talk about the fear.
Sure, Ma almost gets eaten by a bear or whatever, but as a parent, I think there must be a primal fear that permeates every day of your life. It is the fear that if your children get sick, you do not have access to the medication that will make them better. It is the knowledge that if 1 out of every 5 children die, it is unlikely that all your children will make it to adulthood. It is the certainty that if the rain doesn't come or comes at the wrong time, you will not have enough food for the winter. It is knowing that every day, you are walking on a tightrope 40 feet in the air with no safety net underneath and you are fully cognizant that one missed step could be disastrous.
Don't get me wrong, that fear doesn't crowd out the joy. Ethiopia is filled with joy and joyful, beautiful people and Ma and Pa Ingalls had their fair share of good times, too. But under that joy is the very real understanding that life is fragile. In a world without antibiotics, Tylenol, and tetanus shots, life is fragile. Without NICUs, IVs, and oxygen cannulas, life is fragile. Without surgeons, nurses, and doctors, life is fragile. Perhaps that is why Ma and Pa hung on so tightly to their children and why the good days were celebrated. Because everyone knows that the tide may change tomorrow.
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