Could a carbon copy of you and me exist in another dimension? If so, would we look the same, do the same things, or know and interact with the same people?

On the other hand, would you and I exist yet live different lives where decisions and outcomes vary from what happens here in our world? All those shoulda, coulda, and woulda types of wishes become the new reality, along with a different list of regrets.

Do parallel or alternate universes exist?

I've read conflicting definitions of parallel/alternate realities. Some sources lump the two together as a hypothetical self-contained plane of existence in a different space and time, co-existing with one's own.

However, multi-verse advocates separate the two as different entities. "A parallel universe would be a completely separate universe, possibly containing similar characters or facts, but definitively a separate entity. An alternative universe would likely take place in the same universe, but with altered facts."

While writing House on Bo-Kay Lane, my muse decided to experiment with the multi-universe theory and included an older version of Gerald into the story.

For those unfamiliar with the original Wee People story, Gerald and Vernon are teenagers who accidentally fall into the world of the Wee People and must survive some perilous situations before being allowed to return to their own world.

The adventures continue in the second book when a couple of Wee People far-seers, Alyson and Shelia, stick their noses where they don't belong and wind up in an abandoned house in Gerald and Vernon's neighborhood. The far-seers' mode of transportation is a mirror that turns out to be a gateway to Gerald and Vernon's dimension and a significant artifact from the Wee People's past. Of course, my muse added an additional mystery within the depths of the mirror—the image of a stranger.

After the first chapter, I had no idea where the story was headed. Someone else (my muse) was in charge and writing it. She told my fingers what to type, keeping me in the dark until I was granted the privilege of reading the material. And that's the truth!

When the time came to identify the stranger, I was totally taken by surprise. It's difficult to express the shock I experienced when my muse ended chapter seven with this: Gerald faced the questioning faces and simply stated, "I am the man in the mirror."

I stared at the monitor with my mouth hanging open, thinking, where in the world do I go from here? Naturally, at that point, my muse vanished, leaving me to wait until the following day to find the answer.

That's when the parallel universe plot twist came into play. Amazingly, she picked up the storyline, blended Gerald II's alternate existence in with the rest of the characters, and made sense out of my confusion.
​
Of course, the twists, turns, adventure, mystery, and surprises continued until the end of the book. I was pretty dazed by that time, but I have to admit, my muse wrote a pretty good tale. If you haven't read it yet, please do and let me know what you think. 

I am against banning books! I believe no one has the right to tell me what I can or cannot read.
Actually, if a novel with which I’m unfamiliar comes under scrutiny, the negative publicity serves as an open invitation to check it out. I’d have to read it to see what the fuss is all about.

Readers, young and old alike, must have the opportunity to form their individual thoughts on topics such as historical people and events, racial issues, religion, death, gender, or sexuality. There is no “one and only” opinion. Life cannot be censored to suit the views of egocentric bullies.

What really angers me is the latest ploy undertaken by government officials to take this another step into the abyss by passing laws regulating public libraries. In Indiana, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Arkansas, librarians risk prosecution and possible jail time for providing access to banned books to school-aged readers.

Librarians have become targets of those who believe children or teens shouldn’t have access to books dealing with controversial subjects. It’s sad to think these open-minded role models are being wrongfully accused of misguiding children and promoting pornography. Worse, they’re being punished, even though they’re doing nothing wrong.

PEN America found that attempts to ban or restrict access to books from school and public libraries since 2020 have shattered previous records. In addition, over 80% of the 1,648 books banned from schools in 2021 and 2022 focused on or featured LGBTQ+ characters and people of color.

A Washington Post article reported that just 11 people are responsible for more than 60 percent of book challenges in the 2021-22 school. Some of the serial filers were volunteers representing conservative parents groups such as Moms for Liberty. Most of the complaints targeted books about sexuality because “reading books about LGBTQ people could cause children to alter their sexuality or gender.”

No matter how absurd the reasoning, libraries much conform to the new laws, or else face the consequences. Missouri libraries have begun to remove graphic novels and comics, as well as books about art history, the Holocaust, and photography. Disappearing from the shelves are books such as:

• The Complete Guide to Drawing & Painting by Reader’s Digest
• Six books about the Holocaust designed for teen readers 
• Graphic adaptations of classic books including The Odyssey by Homer, Macbeth by Shakespeare, and selected works of Mark Twain
• The Children’s Bible, adapted by Sally Tagholm
• A graphic novel adaptation of the Gettysburg Address by Jonathan Hennessey
• Dozens of superhero comics, including Batman, X-Men, and The Fantastic Four
• 76 art history books whose subjects include Rembrandt, Raphael, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Edward Hopper, and Georgia O’Keefe

This purge is taking place in other states as well. I’m sure it’s excruciating for the dedicated book lovers forced to comply with these mandates.

On a brighter note, Illinois is the first state to propose legislation that will punish public institutions that ban books. The bill states that for public libraries, including those in public schools and universities, to remain eligible for grant funding, they must adopt the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights or their own written statement prohibiting the banning of books.

The Library Bill of Rights was first drafted by library director Forrest Spaulding in 1938 to speak out against the “growing intolerance, suppression of free speech and censorship affecting the rights of minorities and individuals.” One year later, the American Library Association adopted the document as a guide for librarians in serving their communities and protecting the rights of all patrons. It has since evolved to include book banning, race and gender discrimination, and exhibit spaces.

Unfortunately, though, it doesn’t stop the complainers. More than 1,200 challenges were compiled by the association in 2022, nearly double the then-record total from 2021. Liberals targeted some books because of racist language (Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn). Still, the vast majority of complaints came from conservatives focusing on works written by or about members of the LGBTQIA+ community or by and about Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color.

As the hype continues, librarians face increasing pressure to bend to the demands of narrow-minded politicians and parents. However, all is not lost. The American Library Association, the American Federation of Teachers, and more than a dozen other organizations have formed a coalition to fight the nationwide wave of book bans and challenges.

Unite Against Book Bans also includes the publishers Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Macmillan, the Authors Guild, and the National Coalition Against Censorship. Their combined resources help community members to draft petitions, develop questionnaires for political candidates, and design graphics for social media.
​
Libraries provide a safe haven with no strings attached. Everyone is welcome. Knowledgeable and helpful experts are always willing to answer questions and help you find what you want. I hate to see this institution destroyed by ignorance. We all need to support our librarians. Let them know they are still respected and admired and will be forevermore. 

​I’ve been fussing for a long time about the decline of the American educational system. My rampage began the first time a cashier had no clue how to give correct change without the cash register telling her how much to give. What really got me ticked off was when her manager couldn’t figure it out either. 

I patiently stepped in and coached them. “All you have to do is count up from what I owe you, $3.42 to the amount I gave you, $5.00. Start with the 42 cents and get three pennies – 43, 44, 45. Then a nickel will bring it up to 50 cents and two quarters will make four dollars, and another single with bring it up to $5.00.” Heaven help us if I’d given her $5.02!

What hurts me the most is seeing someone who struggles with reading. Not being able to figure out an unrecognizable word makes understanding the text so difficult. About a year ago, I wrote an article about the current method, originally called three-cueing but now referred to as Reading Recovery, used in public schools to teach reading. Instead of being taught to sound out words, students are supposed to pick up cues from the accompanying picture. Unfortunately, after first grade, the pictures get few and far between. Then it's up to the child to predict (guess) what the word could be from how it is used in the text. If the sentences make sense, the reader must be getting the words right, or right enough. 

It Doesn’t Work, People! Its disastrous results have been proven countless times in studies and statistics. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, 32 percent of fourth-graders and 24 percent of eighth-graders aren't reading at a basic level. Fewer than 40 percent are proficient or advanced. But for some reason, this teaching method is still accepted.

I heard a report on NPR (National Public Radio) that rekindled my pet peeve, yet gave hope that reading instruction may go back to actually teaching kids how to read. School districts across the country are dropping Reading Recovery and taking a more science-based approach that focuses on the sounds of letters and how to figure out what the mystery word is.

My faith has been restored. Hopefully, more school systems will switch. Face it, all learning is centered on reading. With the gradual re-direction to phonics, maybe students will improve in other subjects, and teachers will be encouraged to teach more than just the test. 
​
Check out this NPR interview from last December. Hopefully, it’ll make you think seriously about this issue.