Today I would like to share with you one of my favourite TV series which is the “Little House on the Prairie”. This serial is an adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder's best-selling series of Little House books and it is about a humble family living on a farm in Walnut Grove, Minnesota, in the 1870s and 1880s.
For me, Little House showed us a simple,
strong loving family who stayed together and solved their problems with the
power of love and understanding. I agree with Michael Landon, the Director and
protagonist of the serial when he uttered, "The main values of Little House
on the Prairie are little things that nobody seems to care about anymore, the
simple needs of people and how difficult it was in those days out West to
supply them." (Little House on the prairie, n.d.)
Moreover all episodes teach different
values such as respect for the others, solidarity, value of friendship and lessons
that are so valuable in these days. Here are just some noteworthy lessons which
are present in Little House on the Prairie that I cannot forget:
- Always tell the truth, even when it is
inconvenient. Liars are forever getting themselves in trouble and untrustworthy
people don’t have many true friends.
—Steadfast effort usually equals success in
the long run. Our endeavors in reaching a goal may not result in immediate
triumph, but constant effort will eventually get us to our destination.
—If it hurts, get tough. Even if the
situation is bleak, never give up.—Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty.
Hard work won’t kill you.
Of course there are loads of other lessons that you learn watching this series and most of them are simply taught by the way this family lived. They didn’t have to say it out loud. You just observed and soaked them up.
But the value this TV series focused mainly
on was family value and its importance to instill values in you. Even
though this family went through severe ups and downs, yet an atmosphere of
togetherness generally characterized their home through patience, family unity,
and contentment. They worked hard together and this built their family bond. I
think that it is an essential value in life that we see in crisis nowadays. Today our society has become very materialistic. Parents prioritize their jobs and do not have
time to spend with their children so they do not talk with them. If they do not
spend time with their children they cannot inculcate values to them since I
think values are instilled primarily in the family. For that reason we can see some
children do not know how to behave in society since they have not been
instilled with the meaning of universal values which are crucial to coexist in society these days.
In my opinion family and values are much more important than anything money can buy. Wealth does not come from the things you can afford to buy. It comes from who you are and what you stand for.
Many of the lessons taught on that simple television show have stayed with me and are probably worthy lessons for all of us to remember and put into practice in our daily lives. I’m pretty sure that if more people had watched “Little House on the Prairie” and followed their example, we’d all be happier and the world would be a better place to live.
Little House on the prairie , (n.d.)Retrieved from: http://littlehousescenery.homestead.com/