“We should treat all the trivial things of life seriously, and all the serious things of life with sincere and studied triviality.”
– Oscar Wilde
Sherwood Forest is a virtual place I created for my blog.
The tag line comes from Series 1, Episode 3 of the groundbreaking television show, Monty Python’s Flying Circus. I was maybe 12 or 13 when I first watched the show, and I was hooked immediately. I had to stay up late on Sunday night to see it broadcast on the Chicago Public Television channel. It was preceded by either Benny Hill or Ernie Kovacs, which were unconventional in their own way. But the comedy circus was addictive. Silly slapstick, cartoons, biting satire, no laugh track, credits not always at the beginning or end, sketches with no ending, running themes and gags – many times all at once. Not every joke landed. And I can’t tell you why I laughed when the slide loaded a “new” tree with the announcer’s slight pause, followed by “number 2: the larch”. But for the rest of my life, the circus’ pops into my mind and keeps a smile on my face. In addition to the larch, the forest will have some oaks, some beeches, some hawthorns, elms and maples. See if you can spot them from very far away. But beware the llamas!