My friends sometimes joke that I am culturally deprived because I am not very interested in television and movies. I rarely go to movies and do not subscribe to any of the media services such as Hulu, Netflix, or Disney. I do occasionally watch free videos on YouTube, and I am impressed with the artistry of movies. I have no particular objection to media, but simply have found so much to stir my imagination in books that I tend not to invest my time in watching television and movies.

You can’t, however, live in contemporary society and engage with other people without some awareness of movies and television. Our children are in their forties and grew up with the Star Wars movie franchise as part of the culture of their lives. A fan of the series can name all of the various movies, sequels, and prequels. I watched the first three movies before our children were born and the next three with our son. For one of the movies, we lined up to get tickets and watch the film on the opening weekend. It was, I think the only time I can remember actually watching a movie on the weekend it was released. Usually, I have a lot of friends and acquaintances who have seen movies and tell me I really should see them long before i get around to seeing them. And there are a lot of movies that are a part of popular culture that I simply have not watched.

But I was among the viewers who was in the theatre last Friday for the release of The Mighty Movie. Our grandson attends preschool in the mornings, but we were in the theatre for the 4 pm matinee of the movie on opening day.

Anyone who cares about and listens to children in Canada or the USA, and probably a lot of other countries, has to know a bit about Paw Patrol. The computer animated television series that originated in Canada and was picked up by the Nickelodeon Network in the US, is a series of stories about the adventures of a troop of extremely well-equipped dogs who perform rescues. Preschoolers can name all of the dogs and tell what kind of rescuer each is. I’m pretty sure that I’ll forget several if I try to list the characters, but here are a few of the main ones.

Ryder is a boy who is about 10 years old, but who can handle all kinds of technologies. He has a very fast ATV that can somehow transform into a snowmobile or a jet ski as needed. He directs the various dogs who can all talk and engage in heroic rescues.

Chase is a police dog who has a very high tech police car. Marshall is a fire dog with a super fire truck. Skye is a pilot with a jet that sometimes is also a helicopter. Rocky has the world’s fastest recycling truck. Rubble drives a bulldozer that transforms into a crane with a wrecking ball and an excavator with a jackhammer as needed. Zuma has a hovercraft with goes really well on land as well as water and snow.

There is a host of other human and canine characters that make appearances in the television shows and movies including a troop of cats that sometimes assist with rescues. Like many other imagination stories, the group of pups and their human child seem to have unlimited funding and their technology seems to always work. Each dog has a special backpack with tools of their profession. Marshall’s pack has a water cannon to put out fires. Other dogs have different tools. The dogs also have custom dog houses. Their joint headquarters is a tower in the middle of their city, but they also have a high tech boat that can carry all of their vehicles and dock at the edge of the city.

The television series and movies have produced millions of dollars worth of merchandising. Children’s clothing, backpacks, and toys are available in all kinds of different sizes and scales. Our grandson has all kinds of Paw Patrol toys in several different scales. There are pups, vehicles, and accessories. He even has a shower curtain that features the patrol.

Our daughter volunteers at an on-base thrift shop called Airman’s Attic that receives donations and offers merchandise to members of the Air Force without charge. It provides a way for service members to get rid of excess clothing and merchandise when they are transferred from base to base. They also can obtain everything from uniforms to sports equipment from the attic without charge. The shop is staffed by volunteers who sort and display merchandise so that it is available for airmen and their families to come and shop. As a result of her volunteering and the exchange system, there is a continual stream of toys that come into and go out of the playroom at their house. Our grandson doesn’t want for toys. Sometimes it is a challenge for his grandparents to purchase gifts because many of the things we see on display in stores or online merchants have already made it into their home.

Knowing the rough outline of the stories of Paw Patrol has served me not only in my relationship with my grandson, but also in conversations with children at church and in other settings. Imagination play is part of the development of children. Our four-year-old grandson says he wants to be a firefighter when he grows up. Sometimes he will say he wants to be a police officer. He may or may not end up in one of those jobs. Imagining himself in the role, however, helps him to become familiar with the professions and some of the equipment they use. That information could help him be less fearful and more cooperative with first responders if there should be an emergency in which he is involved. He knows that real firefighters and law enforcement officers are not talking dogs. Still he is impressed with their high tech vehicles and knows that they are dedicated to helping people.

I may be culturally deprived, but I know quite a bit about Paw Patrol. I’m also fairly fluent in Mario Kart and Spiderman, and can discuss Pokémon when the topic arises. I may not be much for movies, but I’m a big fan of children and am willing to learn what is required to have conversations with them.