‘fer-ē-tāl (adjective) : especially marked by seemingly unreal beauty, perfection, luck or happiness [1]
1 a : a story (as for children) involving fantastic forces and beings (such as fairies, wizards, and goblins)
b : a story in which improbable events lead to a happy ending
2 : a made-up story usually designed to mislead
“This has been a tough year,” said Scarecrow Contest creator and ongoing annual event organizer Dr Robert Borer when he sat down to share the upcoming theme and details with Saline Journal earlier this week. “We’ve had more than anyone could have thought of with serious, really consequential issues. [2]
How far opposite to that can you go?
Fairy-tales connect us with different places, to other places, dreams, and ideals. They do so with an elegance; they are palatable. They bring a beauty, an art to concepts. The messages don’t feel like we are being force-fed facts that we’re resistant to accept. They encourage unguarded communication of values.
Dr Borer additionally noted the classic collection of folklore from the first have of the 1880s by brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. As educator Sarah Baldwin asserted in a video released last summer, utilization of such written materials can be invaluable to even the youngest of children in development of identity, self-worth, and creative processes as they employ their own mental processes to realize story content. [3,4]
Saline District Library has over one-hundred-fifty titled on its shelves that are dedicated to the subject of fairy tales for those who’d like more ideas for 2020. [5]
With the advent of COVID-19 and emerging definition of what sort of short-term and ongoing “new normals” may emerge, anticipating the return once again of our yearly Scarecrow Contest may serve as an important reminder that many established legacy-normals have survived this pandemic. Come out and see for yourself. [6-10]
“It’s also the perfect social-distancing event,” emphasized Dr Robert Borer. [11]
Contest entries can be built at home. Drop off your entry contact-free here at Borer Family Chiropractic for setup downtown, or set up your scarecrow in front of your business yourself.
Visitors choose their own time to check out the scarecrow entries: Come out when no one else is around. You’re still getting out of the house for a nice walk, seeing something you’ll enjoy — but in a way that works for your comfort level. You don’t even have to get out of your car if that’s the sort of social distance you want to maintain: All scarecrows are visible from the street.
Then vote online — again, no contact.
To help with planning, a “Scarecrow Finder” map will return this year with daily updates as entries are setup for display between October 1 and 31, 2020. See Saline Journal for a link starting at the end of September.
On social media, look for the #SalineScarecrows hashtag for official photographs. The public is invited to use that hashtag as well for any content they have to share, including selfies taken with favorite scarecrows and photographs taken under unique circumstances.
See “Saline Scarecrow Contest” page on Borer Family Chiropractic webiste for entry form and other details. The site has been updated already for 2020, with more updates to come.
References
- “fairy-tale (adjective)” Merriam-Webster.
- “Saline Scarecrow Contest” Borer Family Chiropractic.
- “Grimm’s Fairy Tales” Britannica.
- “Fairy Tales: Disney vs Grimm’s” Sunday with Sarah (July 7, 2019) YouTube.
- Saline District Library (home page).
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) (home page).
- “Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)” CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- “Novel Coronavirus Reports” CDC.
- “Uncomfortable and uncertain: The new normal while living through the COVID-19 pandemic” (July 11, 2020) NPR: Michigan Radio.
- “The New Normal and Coronavirus” Lisa Lockerd Maragakis MD (August 14, 2020) Johns Hopkins Medicine.
- “Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Social Distancing” CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Borer Family Chiropractic (home page).
- “Photograph Saline Scarecrow Contest Entries Downtown at Night (If You Date)” Dell Deaton (September 19, 2016) Saline Journal.
- “How to Decide When a Digital Photograph Should be Presented in Black and White” Dell Deaton (September 18, 2017) Saline Journal.
