I Asked Shel Silverstein About the Meaning of Life . . .
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*
Hello? Shel?
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
(Door swings open)
Hey, Shel. Sorry to bother you. I know you’re brooding right now, but I was hoping you could answer a question for me.
Shel? If you come on the deck and listen to my question, I promise I won’t make you sit in a chair. Manspread to you heart’s delight! What do you say?
Thanks, Shel. Okay, the question is pretty deep, but I know you are a deep thinker.
What? Oh, you’re going to pretend like you aren’t? Don’t pull this false modesty stuff on me. I’ve read The Missing Piece.
So here’s my question . . . what is the meaning of life?
What?! Shel! I’m serious. I thought you might know. Do you know?
Do you?
Silent treatment, eh? How about I shout out a few possibilities and you put on a ridiculous fur coat if I’m right?
Love!
Freedom!
Happiness!
Creativity!
Creativity? That’s it?
Look at me in a way that makes me feel special if that’s it.
Huh. I would have guessed “love”. You sure it isn’t that?
Okay, I get the message. Thank you, Shel.
Filed under: Articles
About Travis Jonker
Travis Jonker is an elementary school librarian in Michigan. He writes reviews (and the occasional article or two) for School Library Journal and is a member of the 2014 Caldecott committee. You can email Travis at scopenotes@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter: @100scopenotes.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
SLJ Blog Network
A Podcast Experiment: SPEED ROUND w/ Marla Frazee, Dan Santat, Doug Salati, and Amina Luqman-Dawson.
That Time I Asked Chris Rufo a Question
Extincts: Flight of the Mammoth | This Week’s Comics
Back in the (Literary) Saddle, a guest post by Jessica Burkhart
The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving
ADVERTISEMENT
THE only photo above that has any resemblance to Shel is the one holding his hands as if praying.
He was a kind, gentle, giving soul.
25 years ago this weekend we lost two young boys, their fathers, and the family dog in a boating accident during our annual fishing derby. Shel, a fellow islander, responded to the tragedy by quietly and without any fanfare presenting our school with a 10′ hand carved tree, the boys’ names making up the two main branches.
The tree still holds a place of honor in our school; as do the boys and, of course, Shel Silverstein.
That’s incredible. What a guy