Sinful Degrees in First Grade

The Disney company is applying some restrictions to several beloved cartoons including Dumbo and Peter Pan for insensitive racial portrayals. In Dumbo the problem comes with the singing crows and their leader Jim Crow, originally intended as a tribute to "blackface" entertainers still popular in 1941 when Dumbo was released.

As a child I had a more Catholic series of questions about Dumbo.

I was encouraged by my teachers to ask questions. Every once in awhile I'd innocently ask a startling question.

I was in first grade with Sister Denise, a kindly Sister of Mercy who had been my kindergarten teacher and who hasd presented me with my first degree; a prestigious MRB which stood for Master of the Rhythm Band.

I had recently seen the movie Dumbo and I had a couple of questions that were bothering me, particularly as I was learning more and more about sin in my catechism and wanted to avoid it at all costs. During religion class I raised my hand, explained that I had just seen Dumbo. I described the scene where Dumbo accidentally gets drunk and envisions pink elephants on parade.

"Sister, is drinking a sin and if it is, is it mortal or venial?"

Sisters of Mercy is an order that originated in Ireland so I'm sure now that Sister Denise had her experiences with drunken Irishmen.

Sister Denise tried to explain that it could range anywhere from a near occasion of sin to a venial to a mortal sin based upon sunsequent behaviors.

I understood but wasn't happy with the shading. I was a black or white, right or wrong kinda kid at the time.

"Sister, do you really see pink elephants when you drink too much?"

Sister Denise said that she didn't know from personal experience but that every person is different.

"Sister is it possible to see the pink elephants without committing a sin?"

Sister Denise said in the case of Dumbo, the drinking episode had been accidental so she didn't believe that Dumbo had sinned although other characters in the movie had sinned at different times by being unkind to Dumbo.

"Sister, what if you don't want to sin but you want to see the pink elephants on parade?"

Sister Denise said I shouldn't worry about that because I had a wonderful imagination.

I said "thank you Sister".

I was done with my questioning for that day.

I was afraid to say that I wanted to see the pink elephants  as I came to the conclusion that if you wanted to see the pink elephants and set upon drinking for that purpose it was more likely a mortal sin than a venial sin.

I wondered about the pink elephants and sin for a long time, through communion and confirmation and graduation from St. James grammar school.

To some extent, after decades of vigorous experimentation I'm still wondering.

I've survived many visions but never pink elephants on parade.