Around a year ago, my wife gave birth to our second son. During one of the late nights early in his infancy, and after humming a nursery rhyme hoping to rock him to sleep, I got a hazy idea of how Rock-A-Bye Baby could be a philosophical lesson regarding placing individuals on pedestals that they truly never earned? I think part of this idea emerged from the current political/social environment where there have been relevant people in positions of power and status that have succumbed to their own misdeeds. So here’s a take on a lullaby that exposes the lies.
Rock-A-Bye Baby is to nurture an individual with adoration that has not necessarily earned it. This might sound a little grim, but a baby has really never done anything to earn the type of adoration it receives. Yes, we should be in awe of the miracle of life and we should love our children, but there can become an unhealthy obsession over showering a baby with gifts and praise that they don’t truly need. We do the same thing to celebrities, politicians, athletes, prodigies and anyone else who is given any status within society. We adore them like a baby. We make the mistake of thinking they can do no wrong. We listen to them like they are experts in any domain.
On the Tree Tops is to put them on a pedestal above all others. The canopy is symbolic of the position we give to those we adore. They are at the top for all to see and celebrate. We quite literally look up to them as role models and idols. This type of admiration is problematic because as humans, we are all prone to weaknesses. To think that any one person has it all figured out or is always right is inevitably wrong.
When the wind blows is the individual being tested by the environment. The wind is a force that is uncontrollable by the individual. It represents the challenges they face, just like everyone else, on a day-by-day basis. Since they do have weaknesses, the wind is a force that can naturally expose them.
The cradle will rock with the “cradle” being the metaphorical protection of the individual crafted by those who adored them and the vessel that transported them to the top of the pedestal. The individual is initially shielded by this cradle. Much depends on the individual’s status among those who give them their status. Some will be given a strong shield and it will take multiple tests to break that shield. Every wind will test the shield. Given enough time, those who have never truly earned the shield, will be rocked as the individual trends toward failure.
When the bough breaks is the individual finally failing a test that is large enough to challenge their status and reputation within society.
The cradle will fall is when enough of the crafted protection has been removed from the individual. There is not enough support from those in society to defend against the downfall of the individual.
And down will come baby is the individual, never having truly earned their position on the pedestal, ultimately falling, i.e. the fall from grace.
Cradle and all is the direct and indirect damage felt by those who had improperly placed the individual on the pedestal to begin with. This damage plays out in numerous ways. To some, the side effect seems insignificant, but to others, they could actually experience mental anguish or tangible repercussions.
What should we learn from this? First and foremost, putting too much of your identity or faith into someone is a unrewarding endeavor.
Instead of spending time reconciling someone else’s failure or misdeeds, spend your time working on your own weaknesses.
Replace role “modelship” with mentorship and only view it as an “a la carte” type process. Study only the aspect of someone’s domain in which they have earned their expert status in while disregarding other aspects of their life. Even when learning about their expertise, try your best to look at it objectively because there could have been a better way to approach something while ending with the same results.
So I’ll be singing this lullaby to my children more often than not with hopes that they don’t fall for those whom inevitably will fall from grace.
Until next time, Rock-a-bye 😉
System Tinker 