What happened when your childhood myths (eg Santa) imploded?
I grew up!
Avril Taylor, Dundas, Ontario, Canada
• Oh no, not him too!
John Benseman, Auckland, New Zealand
• Despite good intentions, Santa occasionally got his signals crossed – with so many of us – muddling up the presents. Much weeping and wailing ensued, and an early scepticism.
RM Fransson, Wheat Ridge, Colorado, US
• When Santa imploded, the reindeer were free at last.
Jennifer Horat, Lengwil, Switzerland
• When I realised that Santa was obviously Dad, concealed in a hooded red dressing gown, I still joined in the fantasy for another three years, for the enjoyment of a younger sister.
Ursula Nixon, Bodalla, NSW, Australia
• What’s with the past tense? I cherish my childhood myths and am not ready to relinquish them any day soon.
David Isaacs, Sydney, Australia
• I suspect that in my case, as with those who still deny the reality of climate change, I simply substituted other comforting myths, in order to carry on doing what I’d always done, blissfully unaware of the consequences. Religions that promise eternal life are another example of this universal reluctance to face up to the brutal truth.
Noel Bird, Boreen Point, Queensland, Australia
• Actually, it was a relief. As the youngest of eight kids, I realised that I was at last on my way to becoming an adult, who could now create his own myths.
Richard Orlando, Westmount, Quebec, Canada
• I realised from that day on I had to have a mind of my own.
David Tucker, Halle, Germany
• I took to a more mature interest in politics instead and believed politicians were for real.
Sunil Bajaria, London, UK
It’s a post-Voltaire world
Is the world a better place now than it was in the 1950s?
In the 1950s, wise eyes already saw that exponential growth of population, industrialisation, consumption of non-renewable resources and pollution are not sustainable. From those observations, in 1972 The Club of Rome prepared a report, The Limits to Growth. It was a clarion call for humanity to adopt a saner future, but we blew the chance. Hence, now the existential threat of climate change. The short answer to the question seems, therefore, to be no.
Lawrie Bradly, Surrey Hills, Victoria, Australia
• No. Ever since Voltaire, all has been for the worst in the worst of all possible worlds.
Harvey Mitchell, Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia
• Yes, because it’s had the benefit of my doubts.
Victor Nerenberg, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec, Canada
• It depends where you are; if you are on the Korean peninsula it must seem about the same.
Craig Sergeant, Nashville, Tennessee, US
It’s on the bald eagle’s menu
Does crow really taste all that bad?
Is this a subtle boast that you never had to eat it? If so, may you soon find out!
Margaret Wyeth, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
• Quite edible, judging by the bald eagle that I watched recently feasting on a crow in my garden. Peculiarly, the crow’s buddies were sitting silently in vigil on tree branches.
Anthony Walter, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
Any answers?
In a couple hundred years, what will our era be named?
Loine Sweeney, Adelaide, South Australia
What does the world of your dreams look like?
R De Braganza, Kilifi, Kenya
Send answers and more questions to weekly.nandq@theguardian.com
