As I watched the coverage (after I got home from classes… darn classes, I so wanted to be home watching the coverage today!) on CNN, I came up with the following random thoughts in response to things that aired. First there were the obvious thoughts of remorse at the destruction, at the loss. But then there were a few random thoughts rattling around in there, too. Here are some of those.
Looters. I just heard a report of looters. I'm not even sure what to say about that. Besides the stupidity of putting yourself in that kind of danger (why aren't the looters inside??), what on earth would possess someone to loot in these kinds of circumstances?
Did you think you were special? One of these guys was reporting that one of their colleagues in NY had family stuck in their house in Hurricane-Land. The family was on the second floor of their house, the first floor was flooded, and the waters were rising. They were awaiting rescue. And what were they doing in their house? There was a mandatory evacuation. So this family (and many others) stayed in their house why? I believe this particular family was in New Orleans because my first thought was, have you heard of the Superdome? I don't want to hear that you had nowhere to go. Clearly you do. You have relatives in NY! And you have access to the Superdome.
Do they really think they are so special that the flood waters would just skip their house? Do they really think it's acceptable to put the rescue workers in that kind of danger? I have news for them: they're not special, they're irresponsible.
And don't even get me started on the family rescued in a boat… the family that had an INFANT with them! This storm was not a surprise folks. You had plenty of warning. And you were ordered to get out. So you were there with your infant why exactly? Again with the irresponsibility.
A tropical storm in Ohio?! How bizarre would that be? Well, had Katrina hit as a Cat 5, they were saying that it would likely still be a tropical storm by the time it made its way to Ohio. At the moment, they're calling for 4 – 8 inches of rain up here. That seems incredible.
The beginning of the season. For those who don't already realize this, the tropical storm/hurricane season is really just getting started. The peak part of the season starts about now and ends in October. They were calling for a bad year. So far they've been right. If we don't have another such storm this year, the forecasts were right. However, it's not over yet. Per the expert they had not too long ago, we'll have several more storm to watch before the peak season ends.
Other countries sending us money? Heard some question whether other countries would send money and care packages our way as we did for the Tsunami (and as we do for disasters around the world). My guess? Nope. And should they? My response? Nope. We're one of the richest nations in the world. It would seem very odd to me for other countries (poorer countries) to send aid. I think cards/messages/"uplifting" care packages from foreign citizens would be a nice show of caring and solidarity.
The bright side of the storm. Two main topics here. First, and pretty much always when it comes to natural disasters, the people. Yes, there are looters and incredibly stupid people who stay in their homes, but there are also those who go out of their way to help. Disasters and bad times tend to bring out the good side of an awful lot of people. This time, there are all of those rescue workers (including those who delivered a baby in the get-out-of-Dodge traffic jams) and I'm sure there are tons of individual heroes out there, and some of those stories will come out in the days to come.
And have you heard about the dolphins? There were three dolphins housed in an aquarium by the water. The dolphin's keepers decided they were way too close to the storm and moved them to a hotel swimming pool treated with salt water. The good news is that there was indeed a lot of damage at that aquarium, but those hotel-visiting dolphins are doing just fine!
Monday, August 29, 2005
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Guts
I've talked about guts before. Mostly in my Harry Potter post. Heroes have guts. However, they don't always know that about themselves beforehand. Others may not know it about them either.
I was watching a new show about 9/11 on National Geographic TV the other day. It was an excellent program. I was fairly impressed. Of course, I missed the first hour, but what I saw was good!
The format took us through the whole morning, step by step. The result of this (or rather, one of the results of this) was that I learned more about the people on the plane that went down in PA than I ever had before. The widows of two of the men were interviewed and talked about those final conversations. I knew that people from that plane had called their loved ones, that they had told their loved ones what was going on and that they were going to attack the hijackers.
I did not know how long the one man was on the phone with his wife. I did not know that he didn't hang up before the attack, instead he just laid the phone down so that those on the other end could hear some of what went on. I did not know that the one man told his wife to make sure that as his infant daughter grows up, she knows how much her daddy loved her.
Those men and women on that flight had guts. Whether they knew that when their flight took off that day, I do not know. But not just everyone has it in them to do what those people did that day. And do not ever forget that they did it for us. They didn't just save the Capital Building that day. They saved each and every one of us.
Would you be able to do what they did? I don't know if I would. I don't know if I have guts, if I'm a hero. But then, until tested, does anyone really know? I suspect not.
And do not forget these women, these widows of heroes, these mothers of fatherless children. I was impressed with their composure. Granted it didn't happen yesterday. But I'm sure it's something that will stick with them forever as highly emotional. They were very well spoken about that horrible day, very calm and collected as they related the events of that morning. These women, too, have guts. They've carried on.
I was watching a new show about 9/11 on National Geographic TV the other day. It was an excellent program. I was fairly impressed. Of course, I missed the first hour, but what I saw was good!
The format took us through the whole morning, step by step. The result of this (or rather, one of the results of this) was that I learned more about the people on the plane that went down in PA than I ever had before. The widows of two of the men were interviewed and talked about those final conversations. I knew that people from that plane had called their loved ones, that they had told their loved ones what was going on and that they were going to attack the hijackers.
I did not know how long the one man was on the phone with his wife. I did not know that he didn't hang up before the attack, instead he just laid the phone down so that those on the other end could hear some of what went on. I did not know that the one man told his wife to make sure that as his infant daughter grows up, she knows how much her daddy loved her.
Those men and women on that flight had guts. Whether they knew that when their flight took off that day, I do not know. But not just everyone has it in them to do what those people did that day. And do not ever forget that they did it for us. They didn't just save the Capital Building that day. They saved each and every one of us.
Would you be able to do what they did? I don't know if I would. I don't know if I have guts, if I'm a hero. But then, until tested, does anyone really know? I suspect not.
And do not forget these women, these widows of heroes, these mothers of fatherless children. I was impressed with their composure. Granted it didn't happen yesterday. But I'm sure it's something that will stick with them forever as highly emotional. They were very well spoken about that horrible day, very calm and collected as they related the events of that morning. These women, too, have guts. They've carried on.
Friday, August 19, 2005
Here, there, and everywhere
Did you know we have homeless people here in America? Yes, that's right, in a country known for its excesses, a country with some of the richest people in the world, we also have people living on the streets with nothing.
Some of our elected officials respond so well: One city's mayor didn't like having his ride to work marred each day by a view of the homeless who were living under a bridge. So he did what any normal person would do, he ordered the police to roust them out of there. Couldn't have that sort of thing at the front door to the city!
And this is not particularly uncommon. Politicians don't like to have the homeless mucking up their city's streets. What does that say about the city? Indeed. Of course, such mayor's could perhaps actually do something that would help these people rather than just telling them to move along.
The thing is, people don't seem to be particularly concerned. The plight of people in Africa? Let's raise money and awareness and sign petitions and save those people! What, a baby in Ethiopia is an AIDS orphan? Don't worry, Angelina Jolie will adopt her! Baby girls in China being abandoned? Never fear, we Americans will adopt them!
Not that I have a problem with helping children, regardless of their nationality. We're all one big family on this Earth and we all need to help each other. I'm all for helping those in foreign countries when they need and want our help. I'm just not for ignoring the problems in our own country. Just a couple of weeks ago, I was reading an article about foreign couples coming to America to adopt babies/children.
I know a lot of people are surprised to hear that. I certainly was. Until I got to the punch line: they're not white babies/children, they're black babies/children. Not enough people here want them (they're too busy adopting overseas, apparently... or perhaps agencies are not making the outreach efforts they need to be making), and apparently it's "easy" to deal with the paperwork and such, so people are coming here for our babies. But that's a topic for another day. Back to the current point…
Taking care of others is fantastic. It's big-hearted and kind and right. However, let's not forget us. We need to also be caring for ourselves, our own neighbors. The more we help our own neighborhoods, the stronger our overall society will be. And the stronger our overall society is, the more we can help others. See, it all works out, even if our efforts begin at home.
What we cannot do is to continue ignoring the problem. Pretending you don't pass those homeless people on your way to work doesn't help anything. Pretending that the homeless people who do register on your radar are just lazy bums who don't feel like getting a job and ignoring that fact that a large percentage of them are ill and unable to care for themselves. They were pushed out of state hospitals a couple of decades ago when it was decided that those institutions should be shut down. The people had nowhere to go. They're too ill to hold jobs, to care for themselves. So they live on the streets.
I won't argue that there are those who abuse welfare, that there are those who truly don't want to work and prefer receiving that check from the state each month. People do not, however, choose a life on the streets. They do not choose to live under bridges, on benches, in doorways. They do not choose to beg for money and to walk around town well all of their worldly possessions in a plastic bag or two.
Whether seeing a homeless person causes your lip to curl or your heart to hurt, ignoring the entire situation seems to be the favored overall response. And this is wrong.
I don't want to hear about individuals not being able to make a difference. That's not true. No, I'm not suggesting that you hand out money left and right each day. I am suggesting that you write letters, to papers, to politicians, to friends. I am suggesting that you stop ignoring that our brothers and sisters and mothers and fathers and children are living on the streets. I am suggesting that you think about this when you vote. Vote for the candidate that you think is the most likely to do something to help those who cannot help themselves. And if you do want to give money, then give it to an organization that helps the homeless: an organization that provides shelter, a foodbank, a store that offers clothes and such for next to nothing or even for free. If we all do this little bit, then we will all be stronger for it. And the stronger we are, the better able we will be to help those around the world.
Some of our elected officials respond so well: One city's mayor didn't like having his ride to work marred each day by a view of the homeless who were living under a bridge. So he did what any normal person would do, he ordered the police to roust them out of there. Couldn't have that sort of thing at the front door to the city!
And this is not particularly uncommon. Politicians don't like to have the homeless mucking up their city's streets. What does that say about the city? Indeed. Of course, such mayor's could perhaps actually do something that would help these people rather than just telling them to move along.
The thing is, people don't seem to be particularly concerned. The plight of people in Africa? Let's raise money and awareness and sign petitions and save those people! What, a baby in Ethiopia is an AIDS orphan? Don't worry, Angelina Jolie will adopt her! Baby girls in China being abandoned? Never fear, we Americans will adopt them!
Not that I have a problem with helping children, regardless of their nationality. We're all one big family on this Earth and we all need to help each other. I'm all for helping those in foreign countries when they need and want our help. I'm just not for ignoring the problems in our own country. Just a couple of weeks ago, I was reading an article about foreign couples coming to America to adopt babies/children.
I know a lot of people are surprised to hear that. I certainly was. Until I got to the punch line: they're not white babies/children, they're black babies/children. Not enough people here want them (they're too busy adopting overseas, apparently... or perhaps agencies are not making the outreach efforts they need to be making), and apparently it's "easy" to deal with the paperwork and such, so people are coming here for our babies. But that's a topic for another day. Back to the current point…
Taking care of others is fantastic. It's big-hearted and kind and right. However, let's not forget us. We need to also be caring for ourselves, our own neighbors. The more we help our own neighborhoods, the stronger our overall society will be. And the stronger our overall society is, the more we can help others. See, it all works out, even if our efforts begin at home.
What we cannot do is to continue ignoring the problem. Pretending you don't pass those homeless people on your way to work doesn't help anything. Pretending that the homeless people who do register on your radar are just lazy bums who don't feel like getting a job and ignoring that fact that a large percentage of them are ill and unable to care for themselves. They were pushed out of state hospitals a couple of decades ago when it was decided that those institutions should be shut down. The people had nowhere to go. They're too ill to hold jobs, to care for themselves. So they live on the streets.
I won't argue that there are those who abuse welfare, that there are those who truly don't want to work and prefer receiving that check from the state each month. People do not, however, choose a life on the streets. They do not choose to live under bridges, on benches, in doorways. They do not choose to beg for money and to walk around town well all of their worldly possessions in a plastic bag or two.
Whether seeing a homeless person causes your lip to curl or your heart to hurt, ignoring the entire situation seems to be the favored overall response. And this is wrong.
I don't want to hear about individuals not being able to make a difference. That's not true. No, I'm not suggesting that you hand out money left and right each day. I am suggesting that you write letters, to papers, to politicians, to friends. I am suggesting that you stop ignoring that our brothers and sisters and mothers and fathers and children are living on the streets. I am suggesting that you think about this when you vote. Vote for the candidate that you think is the most likely to do something to help those who cannot help themselves. And if you do want to give money, then give it to an organization that helps the homeless: an organization that provides shelter, a foodbank, a store that offers clothes and such for next to nothing or even for free. If we all do this little bit, then we will all be stronger for it. And the stronger we are, the better able we will be to help those around the world.
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Aren't we proud.
Have you ever visited a prison? It's quite an experience. A few months ago I went on a prison tour with some of my classmates. The prison houses inmates of different security levels: some max, some min, some in betweens. Some of the people (men… it's a men's prison) whose death sentences were commuted several years back are there. All of the sex offenders in the state pass through there (there's a program they're required to go through: assessment type stuff, anger management, that sort of thing, before they get sent on to wherever they'll be going). Also there: the vast majority of the juveniles in the state who have been tried as adults.
Why is it the vast majority of those juveniles and not all of them? Well, you know, they can't all play well together. There are gang problems, who told on who problems, way too devious together problems. So some are shipped off to other prisons. I don’t know how they're housed in the other prisons though. I don't know how they'd keep them segregated. Because there aren't enough anywhere else to fill up a whole dorm of their own.
If you ever have a chance to go on such a tour, I highly recommend it. Not because it's a barrel of laughs. No. But because I think we should all know. But if your average everyday citizens don't want to go, that's fine. However, it should really be a requirement for law students. I felt it strongly beforehand and feel it even more strongly now.
It was a fairly surreal experience. One image that I think is forever burned into my store of mental images is the juvie who was in solitary and "enjoying" his outside time. See, he was in solitary so outside time for him was in a cage. Literally. Picture the zoo. You know the houses (cat houses oftentimes) where the animals have an inside and an outside to their particular "habitat"? The outside is just a big cage? Yup. That was it. I saw these cages in the yard, projecting from the side of one of the dorms (I'd lost track of where we were on this huge "campus" and wasn't sure which dorm it even was), and couldn't figure out what they were. So I asked. That's where the juveniles in solitary get their yard time.
Kids in cages.
Well aren't we proud.
Since there are so many juveniles there, they have a school. Which we did of course visit. And really, it's just like a school. A mixture of tough-looking aged beyond their years types… and those sweet faced, haven't lost the baby boy roundness to their faces types. Those are the faces I noticed. Those sweet ones. Those are the faces that have stuck with me. Will stick with me. Because remember where I was: a state prison. These sweet faced boys had committed crimes that were serious enough to get them tried as adults and then sentenced to time in prison. The youngest? He'd just turned 14. We're talking murderers. We're talking bad boys. These boys will become men and prison will be what they know. Granted they are not allowed to have any interaction at all with the adult inmates in the prison. If the juveniles are in the yard, then the adult inmates are not. They do not eat together, they do not even walk across the yard at the same time. They are kept isolated from one another.
But still. These boys are in prison. This is what they know now. They will turn into men (hell, given what they've seen and done, it's really not right to call them "boys" anymore anyway) and most will spend the majority of their lives behind bars. Some of those who escape that fate will escape it through death. Not many of them are going to go on to be senators or judges or engineers. Oh certainly some will turn things around. They will go on to live the "normal" lives the rest of us lead. Maybe help save some other kid some other time in some other place. And though some will struggle mightily, they'll remain on the right side of the law. But most of them? Well. Their futures are bleak.
Aren't we proud.
Because we did this. More precisely, we allowed it to happen. Because Hillary had it right: it takes a village. And when the parents aren't around or are incredibly bad influences and the village looks the other way rather than get involved, the village must share in the blame. These kids, in one way or another, have been abandoned by everyone. We failed. We failed in a big, bad, ugly way. We claim to be all about the children and yet we failed these children.
Certainly the same is true of most of the adults in prison, too. Many started out as these boys. Whether they were caught or not, whether their crimes at that age were slightly less severe or just more well hidden, many of the men there started out as these boys. And when they were boys, we failed them, too. We didn't watch out for them, we didn't mentor them, we didn't help them with their homework, we didn't make sure they were going to school and getting dinner and living someplace safe. We didn't love them enough. Shoot, we didn't love them at all. No, much easier to pretend they weren't there.
Aren't we proud.
Why is it the vast majority of those juveniles and not all of them? Well, you know, they can't all play well together. There are gang problems, who told on who problems, way too devious together problems. So some are shipped off to other prisons. I don’t know how they're housed in the other prisons though. I don't know how they'd keep them segregated. Because there aren't enough anywhere else to fill up a whole dorm of their own.
If you ever have a chance to go on such a tour, I highly recommend it. Not because it's a barrel of laughs. No. But because I think we should all know. But if your average everyday citizens don't want to go, that's fine. However, it should really be a requirement for law students. I felt it strongly beforehand and feel it even more strongly now.
It was a fairly surreal experience. One image that I think is forever burned into my store of mental images is the juvie who was in solitary and "enjoying" his outside time. See, he was in solitary so outside time for him was in a cage. Literally. Picture the zoo. You know the houses (cat houses oftentimes) where the animals have an inside and an outside to their particular "habitat"? The outside is just a big cage? Yup. That was it. I saw these cages in the yard, projecting from the side of one of the dorms (I'd lost track of where we were on this huge "campus" and wasn't sure which dorm it even was), and couldn't figure out what they were. So I asked. That's where the juveniles in solitary get their yard time.
Kids in cages.
Well aren't we proud.
Since there are so many juveniles there, they have a school. Which we did of course visit. And really, it's just like a school. A mixture of tough-looking aged beyond their years types… and those sweet faced, haven't lost the baby boy roundness to their faces types. Those are the faces I noticed. Those sweet ones. Those are the faces that have stuck with me. Will stick with me. Because remember where I was: a state prison. These sweet faced boys had committed crimes that were serious enough to get them tried as adults and then sentenced to time in prison. The youngest? He'd just turned 14. We're talking murderers. We're talking bad boys. These boys will become men and prison will be what they know. Granted they are not allowed to have any interaction at all with the adult inmates in the prison. If the juveniles are in the yard, then the adult inmates are not. They do not eat together, they do not even walk across the yard at the same time. They are kept isolated from one another.
But still. These boys are in prison. This is what they know now. They will turn into men (hell, given what they've seen and done, it's really not right to call them "boys" anymore anyway) and most will spend the majority of their lives behind bars. Some of those who escape that fate will escape it through death. Not many of them are going to go on to be senators or judges or engineers. Oh certainly some will turn things around. They will go on to live the "normal" lives the rest of us lead. Maybe help save some other kid some other time in some other place. And though some will struggle mightily, they'll remain on the right side of the law. But most of them? Well. Their futures are bleak.
Aren't we proud.
Because we did this. More precisely, we allowed it to happen. Because Hillary had it right: it takes a village. And when the parents aren't around or are incredibly bad influences and the village looks the other way rather than get involved, the village must share in the blame. These kids, in one way or another, have been abandoned by everyone. We failed. We failed in a big, bad, ugly way. We claim to be all about the children and yet we failed these children.
Certainly the same is true of most of the adults in prison, too. Many started out as these boys. Whether they were caught or not, whether their crimes at that age were slightly less severe or just more well hidden, many of the men there started out as these boys. And when they were boys, we failed them, too. We didn't watch out for them, we didn't mentor them, we didn't help them with their homework, we didn't make sure they were going to school and getting dinner and living someplace safe. We didn't love them enough. Shoot, we didn't love them at all. No, much easier to pretend they weren't there.
Aren't we proud.
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
It's reunion time
I always thought old people had 15 year high school reunions. Turns out I was wrong because mine is this fall and I'm far from old. Live and learn!
Reunions do make you think. I haven't stayed in touch with anyone, so I don't actually have any desire to go. [Now if I was ridiculously famous and strikingly gorgeous, then of course I'd go!!! But as I'm pretty much the exact opposite of both of those things, I think I'll just stay home and study.] To be a fly on the wall, perhaps. After all, who doesn't want to know what's become of all of their classmates? I certainly do. I want to know who's done what and who's doing what and who's where and all that stuff. Lucky for me, they're going to be sending out a class directory so I can find all of that out without having to go anywhere near the reunion! Now I just have to hope that most people sent in their information for the directory. After all, they had one for our 10 year, too, and I didn't even respond to that one (or receive it).
Of course, the only directory information they asked for was family and professional. Nothing about schooling. And since pretty much the only thing I've done is go to school (I'm getting pretty good at getting those degrees!), I didn't have much of anything to fill out on the information form. Oh well. I guess that's what happens when you graduate from a rural school. I'm sure the form would look quite different for some perky little city prep school.
Reunions do get you thinking. Both about life then and life now. Distance hasn't really made the "then" part any different for me. I existed on the fringes in high school. I got along with everyone (well, for the most part, there was an exception or two), but didn't really have friends. Sure there were a couple. But they didn't stick. That's always made me a little sad. I'm so jealous of the people I know who have close friendships from their childhoods. I don't even know anyone from my childhood anymore. I don't care about the lack of dating in high school. It's the lack of lasting, life-long friendships that I miss.
Overall though, high school was okay for me. Middle school was Hell. But I survived that (didn't think I would at the time and occasionally look back with some surprise that I made it through) and made it to high school and things there were… well, they were fine. No high drama. Again, I just kind of existed. No one was mean to me. I've never been able to decide if that's because I just didn't encourage meanness in people (that would be the best explanation!), if they didn't notice me enough to be mean, or if people just didn't want to be mean to my brother's sister. Who knows. And really, who cares. Does it really matter? It was 15 years ago and has no bearing on my present life. But sometimes I just wonder about it.
And life now. Having a reunion makes you take stock, see if you're where you thought you'd be, and if not, whether that's okay. Am I where I thought I'd be? Well, to be honest, I never really knew where'd I be. I still detest the "where will you be, what will you being doing in 5/10/x years from now" questions. I don't know. I'll be where life takes me. Granted that sounds rather aimless and unambitious. And I don't feel I'm either of those things. It's just that we can't see the future. We don't know what's going to happen in a year or two or five or even tomorrow. I don't want to have such a rigid life plan that I miss out on the opportunities outside that plan that arise for me. I also don't want to set myself up for the inevitable disappointment. After all, what ever goes entirely by plan?! So I'm in law school at the moment and the plan is still to work in the government (somehow, somewhere, some way). I don't know what opportunities will actually come along by the time I graduate. I want to remain open enough in my plans that I don't miss out on a once in a lifetime type chance to do… whatever! I'm easy. As long as whatever I'm doing makes a difference in some way then I'll be happy.
After all, my overall life plan is really rather simple: I want to save the world. That's not so tough. It's all about the butterfly effect. When you look at it that way, we all (every single last one of us) have the absolute power to change the world. We just have to be careful to use that amazing power for good. If I can look back at my future reunions and be comfortable in the knowledge that I have made some positive difference, then it'll all be good.
Reunions do make you think. I haven't stayed in touch with anyone, so I don't actually have any desire to go. [Now if I was ridiculously famous and strikingly gorgeous, then of course I'd go!!! But as I'm pretty much the exact opposite of both of those things, I think I'll just stay home and study.] To be a fly on the wall, perhaps. After all, who doesn't want to know what's become of all of their classmates? I certainly do. I want to know who's done what and who's doing what and who's where and all that stuff. Lucky for me, they're going to be sending out a class directory so I can find all of that out without having to go anywhere near the reunion! Now I just have to hope that most people sent in their information for the directory. After all, they had one for our 10 year, too, and I didn't even respond to that one (or receive it).
Of course, the only directory information they asked for was family and professional. Nothing about schooling. And since pretty much the only thing I've done is go to school (I'm getting pretty good at getting those degrees!), I didn't have much of anything to fill out on the information form. Oh well. I guess that's what happens when you graduate from a rural school. I'm sure the form would look quite different for some perky little city prep school.
Reunions do get you thinking. Both about life then and life now. Distance hasn't really made the "then" part any different for me. I existed on the fringes in high school. I got along with everyone (well, for the most part, there was an exception or two), but didn't really have friends. Sure there were a couple. But they didn't stick. That's always made me a little sad. I'm so jealous of the people I know who have close friendships from their childhoods. I don't even know anyone from my childhood anymore. I don't care about the lack of dating in high school. It's the lack of lasting, life-long friendships that I miss.
Overall though, high school was okay for me. Middle school was Hell. But I survived that (didn't think I would at the time and occasionally look back with some surprise that I made it through) and made it to high school and things there were… well, they were fine. No high drama. Again, I just kind of existed. No one was mean to me. I've never been able to decide if that's because I just didn't encourage meanness in people (that would be the best explanation!), if they didn't notice me enough to be mean, or if people just didn't want to be mean to my brother's sister. Who knows. And really, who cares. Does it really matter? It was 15 years ago and has no bearing on my present life. But sometimes I just wonder about it.
And life now. Having a reunion makes you take stock, see if you're where you thought you'd be, and if not, whether that's okay. Am I where I thought I'd be? Well, to be honest, I never really knew where'd I be. I still detest the "where will you be, what will you being doing in 5/10/x years from now" questions. I don't know. I'll be where life takes me. Granted that sounds rather aimless and unambitious. And I don't feel I'm either of those things. It's just that we can't see the future. We don't know what's going to happen in a year or two or five or even tomorrow. I don't want to have such a rigid life plan that I miss out on the opportunities outside that plan that arise for me. I also don't want to set myself up for the inevitable disappointment. After all, what ever goes entirely by plan?! So I'm in law school at the moment and the plan is still to work in the government (somehow, somewhere, some way). I don't know what opportunities will actually come along by the time I graduate. I want to remain open enough in my plans that I don't miss out on a once in a lifetime type chance to do… whatever! I'm easy. As long as whatever I'm doing makes a difference in some way then I'll be happy.
After all, my overall life plan is really rather simple: I want to save the world. That's not so tough. It's all about the butterfly effect. When you look at it that way, we all (every single last one of us) have the absolute power to change the world. We just have to be careful to use that amazing power for good. If I can look back at my future reunions and be comfortable in the knowledge that I have made some positive difference, then it'll all be good.
Tuesday, August 2, 2005
What is it about Harry Potter?
The reason for the big break in posts is Harry Potter. With the new book out, I wanted to reread (or in some cases, listen to) the previous five books. It had been years since I'd read them and I just couldn't remember what was going on. Not a good state in which to begin a new Potter book. Though each book has it's main plot, the series is one big plot. In a way, you could view each book as a chapter in one big story. So the fresher the storylines and characters from the previous books are in your mind, the smoother the reading of the latest book. Granted you could do without the review as Rowling does a pretty good job of retelling the major pieces that you really need to know. However, you'll miss out on a lot that way. I can't believe the things I picked up on (in four and five in particular) that I had just completely missed the first time around.
I'm now working on finishing up book six, which is always a good and bad thing. Good because the ends just never disappoint (and get better each time); bad because I'm never ready for a really good book to end (and because I know this one will end darkly as we are approaching the climax of the entire series). I don't have another book in the series to move on to (yet), so how will I get my Harry fix?
And now onto my actual point in posting...
What is it about Harry Potter? What can I possibly say to those who think that these are just silly kids' books to attempt to explain the attraction?
I've tried to keep those questions in mind as I've been going back through these books and reading the new one. And for those of you who remember my long "essays" on Buffy, the two have a lot in common. Yes, the boy wizard and the vampire slayer both get to me for some of the same reasons.
Remember Buffy's gift? Love was her gift, remember? Her ability to love others was her gift. It's what made her different from (and better than) your average slayer and from all those she fought. Well, Harry's greatest strength and protection is love. Even though he is supposed to be a particularly talented wizard, his greatest strength is that despite everything he's had to endure, he is still able to love. That turns out to be what gives him his greatest strength and his greatest protection. And given all they have in common, it is what truly distinguishes him from his greatest enemy.
Friends. Though different demons over the years made fun of Buffy's little Scooby gang, it is her friends that kept her alive, kept her going. Her determination to save the world was in large part because that was how she could save her friends. Well, that's Harry, too. He has these friends that he would do anything to protect. He teaches them (remember those training sessions with Buffy and Dawn? Well, Harry taught a whole class of his fellow students) in order to help them help themselves. He loves them and wants them to survive, and so he does what he can to give them the tools to both protect themselves and help him with the war.
Also, those friends love him, too. They help him and support him. They plan with him, they study with him, they research new evils with him. They're very much his Scooby Gang. They would not betray him and they have his back no matter what.
Good vs. Evil. We all know there is good and evil in the world. What makes one win over the other? How does one side triumph? Will good always win in the end? Or does it just depend on who's fighting on which side? Do wins last forever or is it a constantly re-emerging fight? Is everything predetermined or do we have true choices, can we affect the outcome? Buffy and Harry both deal with every one of these questions, and what's more, they both answer them pretty much the same way.
Isms. I think Buffy did deal with different stereotypes over the years. Racism, sexism, etc. Harry does, too. There is a lot on racism in Harry. Between muggle-borns and half bloods and mixed species (there's a half giant and a werewolf fighting on the good side), the message is pretty loud and clear: it's not your ancestry that matters, it's what you do in life that makes you who you are. You can absolutely rise above the stereotypes.
Family. Buffy and Harry both show us that you don't have to have blood ties in order to have a family, and that often it's our families of creation that are more "family-like" and special to us than our families of birth. Being born to a lousy family or having a lousy childhood is no excuse for anything. You can create a strong, loving, supporting family from the special friends you make in life. [And there's your Rent tie in, too!]
Guts and brains. Buffy and Harry both show us that a huge part of the equation is our willingness and ability to stand up. Having the guts to act. Knowing enough to trust our instincts (and learning to hone those instincts). It's not all book smarts. Willow and Hermione are the academic stars, but neither is the star of the show. Why? Because it's not all about the brainwork. What's the saying? No guts, no glory. Rules are a good thing. They keep order, they guide us, they make things predictable. But sometimes, you have to be willing to break the rules. Sometimes because the end justifies the means and sometimes because the rules are just wrong. Buffy and Harry are the rule breakers. Oftentimes they do what they have to do to get the job done. You need the brains in your Scooby gang, but the one with the guts is going to be the leader of that group every time.
On top of all of this (and much more, but I don't want this post to turn into a book all its own), Rowling is a good writer. There aren't time gaps between books. One book will leave Harry at the end of summer term in June and the next book will pick up with Harry over summer break. The kids were 10/11 when the books started and are now (in book 6) 16/17. As you read through the books, you really see them growing up. And what I've found fairly impressive is that the writing itself seems to grow with the characters.
There is a lot of detail in these books. And through it all Rowling has kept her stuff straight. Her characters and settings don't sloppily alter as we go, they stay true to themselves throughout. It's really quite impressive.
There are more specifics, more details, from the six books that could further explain my enjoyment of these books, but between spoilers and space, I'll skip that for now. As much as I want the seventh book now in order to see what happens next with Harry et al., in a way I'm okay with a delay because I've really enjoyed this series and will be sad to see it end with the next book.. I can't remember the last time I read a series that got better, stronger, more intriguing with each new book. That is a rare thing in the book world today and another reason that I am so drawn to this series.
For those who have seen the movies and have enjoyed them, trust me when I say that they've got nothing on the books. As good as I think the movies are (and how often do you say that about a beloved book turned movie??), the books are head and shoulders above them. The books are just so much more.
I'm now working on finishing up book six, which is always a good and bad thing. Good because the ends just never disappoint (and get better each time); bad because I'm never ready for a really good book to end (and because I know this one will end darkly as we are approaching the climax of the entire series). I don't have another book in the series to move on to (yet), so how will I get my Harry fix?
And now onto my actual point in posting...
What is it about Harry Potter? What can I possibly say to those who think that these are just silly kids' books to attempt to explain the attraction?
I've tried to keep those questions in mind as I've been going back through these books and reading the new one. And for those of you who remember my long "essays" on Buffy, the two have a lot in common. Yes, the boy wizard and the vampire slayer both get to me for some of the same reasons.
Remember Buffy's gift? Love was her gift, remember? Her ability to love others was her gift. It's what made her different from (and better than) your average slayer and from all those she fought. Well, Harry's greatest strength and protection is love. Even though he is supposed to be a particularly talented wizard, his greatest strength is that despite everything he's had to endure, he is still able to love. That turns out to be what gives him his greatest strength and his greatest protection. And given all they have in common, it is what truly distinguishes him from his greatest enemy.
Friends. Though different demons over the years made fun of Buffy's little Scooby gang, it is her friends that kept her alive, kept her going. Her determination to save the world was in large part because that was how she could save her friends. Well, that's Harry, too. He has these friends that he would do anything to protect. He teaches them (remember those training sessions with Buffy and Dawn? Well, Harry taught a whole class of his fellow students) in order to help them help themselves. He loves them and wants them to survive, and so he does what he can to give them the tools to both protect themselves and help him with the war.
Also, those friends love him, too. They help him and support him. They plan with him, they study with him, they research new evils with him. They're very much his Scooby Gang. They would not betray him and they have his back no matter what.
Good vs. Evil. We all know there is good and evil in the world. What makes one win over the other? How does one side triumph? Will good always win in the end? Or does it just depend on who's fighting on which side? Do wins last forever or is it a constantly re-emerging fight? Is everything predetermined or do we have true choices, can we affect the outcome? Buffy and Harry both deal with every one of these questions, and what's more, they both answer them pretty much the same way.
Isms. I think Buffy did deal with different stereotypes over the years. Racism, sexism, etc. Harry does, too. There is a lot on racism in Harry. Between muggle-borns and half bloods and mixed species (there's a half giant and a werewolf fighting on the good side), the message is pretty loud and clear: it's not your ancestry that matters, it's what you do in life that makes you who you are. You can absolutely rise above the stereotypes.
Family. Buffy and Harry both show us that you don't have to have blood ties in order to have a family, and that often it's our families of creation that are more "family-like" and special to us than our families of birth. Being born to a lousy family or having a lousy childhood is no excuse for anything. You can create a strong, loving, supporting family from the special friends you make in life. [And there's your Rent tie in, too!]
Guts and brains. Buffy and Harry both show us that a huge part of the equation is our willingness and ability to stand up. Having the guts to act. Knowing enough to trust our instincts (and learning to hone those instincts). It's not all book smarts. Willow and Hermione are the academic stars, but neither is the star of the show. Why? Because it's not all about the brainwork. What's the saying? No guts, no glory. Rules are a good thing. They keep order, they guide us, they make things predictable. But sometimes, you have to be willing to break the rules. Sometimes because the end justifies the means and sometimes because the rules are just wrong. Buffy and Harry are the rule breakers. Oftentimes they do what they have to do to get the job done. You need the brains in your Scooby gang, but the one with the guts is going to be the leader of that group every time.
On top of all of this (and much more, but I don't want this post to turn into a book all its own), Rowling is a good writer. There aren't time gaps between books. One book will leave Harry at the end of summer term in June and the next book will pick up with Harry over summer break. The kids were 10/11 when the books started and are now (in book 6) 16/17. As you read through the books, you really see them growing up. And what I've found fairly impressive is that the writing itself seems to grow with the characters.
There is a lot of detail in these books. And through it all Rowling has kept her stuff straight. Her characters and settings don't sloppily alter as we go, they stay true to themselves throughout. It's really quite impressive.
There are more specifics, more details, from the six books that could further explain my enjoyment of these books, but between spoilers and space, I'll skip that for now. As much as I want the seventh book now in order to see what happens next with Harry et al., in a way I'm okay with a delay because I've really enjoyed this series and will be sad to see it end with the next book.. I can't remember the last time I read a series that got better, stronger, more intriguing with each new book. That is a rare thing in the book world today and another reason that I am so drawn to this series.
For those who have seen the movies and have enjoyed them, trust me when I say that they've got nothing on the books. As good as I think the movies are (and how often do you say that about a beloved book turned movie??), the books are head and shoulders above them. The books are just so much more.
Monday, August 1, 2005
Le Tour de France
Who would have thought that I'd be so fascinated by the Tour? And no, this does not fall into the "I'll watch anything" category.
Because see, I am just fascinated by these guys. They're amazing. Also, as I watched and listened (there was a live radio broadcast online each day), I learned so much. The commentators talked about all kinds of things: the history of the Tour, the professional histories of the different riders and teams, the bikes, the roles of the different members of a team, the feeding stations, and the French countryside, to name just a few topics.
"But it dawned on me that the Tour’s great lesson is to push forward, always forward. There’s always a way. You just have to keep looking for it." (From Martin Dugard's 7/13/05 active.com Tour blog entry Bike Spike -- almost.) You have to want it and you have to be willing to work for it. And then, anything is possible.
And yes, of course, I'm also interested in Lance's story. That wasn't why I started watching. I saw that the Tour was on OLN, watched one day, and was completely hooked for the rest of the three weeks. I'll watch again next year. Next year when Lance will not be there. So it is not a Lance obsession that drew me in.
However, since we're talking about Lance, what is it about him? I read an editorial in the Times the other day that had a big hint of an answer. He plays offense. He doesn't sit around and wait to see what's going to happen. He doesn't just react, respond. The man has a plan. Always. He starts a year in advance and he spends the year training and his team spends the year training and as a result, they're well known as one of the best (many say The Best) team in the world. And to prove it, Lance now as 80-some yellow jerseys and 7 straight Tour victories to his name.
And let us remember that he did this after being diagnosed with testicular cancer, which had spread to his lungs and brain. Yes, his brain. How many people survive brain cancer? Though I don't have the stats in hand, I know the answer is "not many." And yet, there he is with his 7 Tour wins. That, to me, is amazing.
Was it a miracle? Was it determination? Mind over matter? Or just pure luck? Well, those questions can never be answered. We just know that this is what has happened. And it's amazing to me.
Since my current obsession is Rent the movie, let's tie them together. Here's a line from one of the songs "people living with… not dying from disease." That's Lance. Not living with, of course, as he is now disease free. But when he found out, when he was diagnosed (Oct. 2, 1996, just in case anyone has forgotten), he didn't sit down to die. He didn't decide that it was a life sentence for him. He was determined to do everything he could to overcome that cancer. And—whether it was luck or attitude or straight out miracle—he did just that.
Furthermore, he hasn't forgotten. His Foundation educates and supports those with cancer and works to change related health care legislation. He has a plan and he's following it. He's on the offense, not the defense.
If more of the teams in the Tour would take a page out of Lance and the Discovery Channel Team's book, the Tour could be even more fascinating next year. Imagine all those teams on the offense. We could be completely blown away by the winners and even more records could be broken. Oh what a Tour it would be.
Because see, I am just fascinated by these guys. They're amazing. Also, as I watched and listened (there was a live radio broadcast online each day), I learned so much. The commentators talked about all kinds of things: the history of the Tour, the professional histories of the different riders and teams, the bikes, the roles of the different members of a team, the feeding stations, and the French countryside, to name just a few topics.
"But it dawned on me that the Tour’s great lesson is to push forward, always forward. There’s always a way. You just have to keep looking for it." (From Martin Dugard's 7/13/05 active.com Tour blog entry Bike Spike -- almost.) You have to want it and you have to be willing to work for it. And then, anything is possible.
And yes, of course, I'm also interested in Lance's story. That wasn't why I started watching. I saw that the Tour was on OLN, watched one day, and was completely hooked for the rest of the three weeks. I'll watch again next year. Next year when Lance will not be there. So it is not a Lance obsession that drew me in.
However, since we're talking about Lance, what is it about him? I read an editorial in the Times the other day that had a big hint of an answer. He plays offense. He doesn't sit around and wait to see what's going to happen. He doesn't just react, respond. The man has a plan. Always. He starts a year in advance and he spends the year training and his team spends the year training and as a result, they're well known as one of the best (many say The Best) team in the world. And to prove it, Lance now as 80-some yellow jerseys and 7 straight Tour victories to his name.
And let us remember that he did this after being diagnosed with testicular cancer, which had spread to his lungs and brain. Yes, his brain. How many people survive brain cancer? Though I don't have the stats in hand, I know the answer is "not many." And yet, there he is with his 7 Tour wins. That, to me, is amazing.
Was it a miracle? Was it determination? Mind over matter? Or just pure luck? Well, those questions can never be answered. We just know that this is what has happened. And it's amazing to me.
Since my current obsession is Rent the movie, let's tie them together. Here's a line from one of the songs "people living with… not dying from disease." That's Lance. Not living with, of course, as he is now disease free. But when he found out, when he was diagnosed (Oct. 2, 1996, just in case anyone has forgotten), he didn't sit down to die. He didn't decide that it was a life sentence for him. He was determined to do everything he could to overcome that cancer. And—whether it was luck or attitude or straight out miracle—he did just that.
Furthermore, he hasn't forgotten. His Foundation educates and supports those with cancer and works to change related health care legislation. He has a plan and he's following it. He's on the offense, not the defense.
If more of the teams in the Tour would take a page out of Lance and the Discovery Channel Team's book, the Tour could be even more fascinating next year. Imagine all those teams on the offense. We could be completely blown away by the winners and even more records could be broken. Oh what a Tour it would be.
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