We live in a world where spin-doctors are what we used to call con artists, where the lines of ethics, morality and faith are blurred, where religion is used as an excuse to kill our fellow man. I yearn for a simpler credo of beliefs; those simple, but elegant morals espoused by a writer named Theodore Geisel, known to millions as Dr. Seuss.

Dr. Seuss reduced human behavior to elementary terms; honesty, integrity, loyalty, redemption, determination, conflict resolution, tolerance, etc. The fables he spun took place in an alien world with weird creatures, strange settings and the most unlikely host of characters ever assembled; yet there was never a doubt who he was speaking to. His homespun poetry and clever play on words and their meanings proved humorous and entertaining, but all the time we were laughing, there was a subtle message embedded to hopefully influence our treatment of others.

In Horton Hatches The Egg, we learn about trust, honor and loyalty through the following words: “I meant what I said, and I said what I meant..An elephant’s faithful one hundred percent. In How The Grinch Stole Christmas!, we explored spirituality, tolerance and redemption. In Green Eggs and Ham, we discovered determination, conflict resolution and openness to new ideas. In The Cat in The Hat we experienced the sometimes negative results of not living our beliefs. Dr. Seuss’ 44 books all contain similar themes and variations on living the “Golden Rule.” There is something for everyone in the Dr. Seuss series and every story can mean something new to every reader.

When the world begins to appear overwhelming and my life feels out of control, I take solace in these words from the eminent doctor: “It’s a troublesome world. All the people who’re in it are troubled with troubles almost every minute. Just tell yourself, Duckie, you’re really quite lucky! Some people are much more…oh, ever so much more…oh, muchly much-much more unlucky than you.” — Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?
My wife always says she believes in the world according to Disney, I believe in the world according to Dr. Seuss.

Steve Staab is a counselor at Worland High School and volunteers as a member of Kiwanis Club. As a matter of fact, he could be found today at the Festival of Trees reading some of his favorite Christmas books to any child (young and old) who would like to listen. He may even bring out “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”