The Occupied Library

A library is not a luxury but one of the necessities of life.

Henry Ward Beecher 

I'm going to go ahead and make the assumption that everyone has, at least in some capacity, heard about the Occupy Movement. If you aren't up to speed on what Occupy is, a quick Google search should solve that problem. As per usual, I have remained happily neutral/non-partisan in any discussions regarding the movement, simply because I do not believe I am well-informed enough to 'take a side', as it were. Nevertheless, I need to draw the line somewhere, and that somewhere is when libraries are destroyed.

Recently, the Occupy Wall Street library in Zuccotti Park was essentially eliminated by New York city police, which reeks of the uber-censorship in Rad Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. (An aside: Read that book if you haven't already. It's one of my top ten.) I find it hard to believe that assembling a library could be, in any way, harmful to the greater good (or, well, anyone). Ultimately, the removal of Occupy libraries--small as they may be--is problematically linked to the removal of free speech and the promotion of censorship. From GOOD magazine: "Few things symbolize the repression of free speech like the destruction of books".

To some, the People's Library is a non-issue in light of the rest of the Occupy drama. Regardless (and along with the American Library Association), I "deplore the destruction of libraries, library collections and property, and the disruption of the educational purpose by that act." I believe that every human being has the right to literacy and education, and thus the right to have easy access to books. All of this removing Occupy libraries nonsense needs to stop.

--- chRistie

I am hungry.

I'm always fairly anxious about jumping on the bandwagon for, well, anything. It's part and parcel of my growing up as an only child, I suppose; I have an innate desire to figure things out on my own, to come to conclusions independently. That being said, it took me until sometime last fall to read Suzanne Collins' now immensely-successful The Hunger Games. Despite the near-panic attacks of my lovely bookstore co-workers upon the release of Mockingjay (the final book in Collins' trilogy for those unfamiliar), I managed to resist reading this teen trilogy for another year or so.

Flash forward (or, I suppose, travel back?) to fall 2010 and my newly-acquired personal mission to read and thus discover teen books of substance and quality. Lord knows which friend/co-worker/stranger recommended The Hunger Games to me, but I felt that the book warranted at least an attempt (unlike some other wildly popular teen novels that I refuse to borrow/own/associate with).

I intentionally rode the bus in the morning so I had more time to read. I read in between sending emails and processing invoices while I was at work. I ignored other generally-consumed forms of media, and I devoured The Hunger Games in a large, choking bite. And, upon realizing that everyone was right and Collins' had produced a teen novel of epic proportions, I raced through the second and third books of the trilogy at a desperate, panicked pace.

An aside: Were I to rate the books of the trilogy, I think I enjoyed Catching Fire the most, and Mockingjay the least (mostly because the latter felt somewhat rushed and arbitrary compared to it's predecessors).

As I have mentioned before (so now in typical, broken-record style), I truly believe that teenagers need to read challenging books that deal with complicated ethical issues. The Hunger Games is the perfect solution to the problem of finding solid young adult literature, and it carries at a fast enough pace (with plenty of violence, and a sprinkling of romance) to keep generally-disinterested teens turning the pages. Anyone who enjoys dystopian fiction (a la Orwell, Bradbury, Huxley, et al), and anyone who is mildly interested in seeing the film adaptation, should certainly read The Hunger Games. Speaking of which...

 

For those who still need more convincing, perhaps you should read the review that Stephen King wrote? Those more keen on contemporary fantasy will also appreciate Lev Grossman's review of the first two novels. If you're hunting for a more critical (and slightly snobbier) perspective, check out Laura Miller's thoughts (about The Hunger Games, and dystopian YA in general). And lastly, if you still want the snobbery but aren't willing to concede that Collins' trilogy could be bad, give John Green's review a read.

All in all, you should read The Hunger Games.
If you do, I won't need to tell you to read the rest of the trilogy.

--- chRistie

A Disney Halloween

Proper, thoughtful post(s) to come (I promise!). In the mean time, and to celebrate Halloween, a photo from last night's party! The students at my workplace decided to have a Disney-themed party, and here are all the ladies of Disney. Pretty accurate costuming, I'd say.

From left to right: Pocahontas, Jasmine, Snow White, Esmerelda, Belle, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Ariel and Jane. Note that the face poking out from behind is my husband, who fits in only because he too was wearing a skirt.

--- chRistie

Christie (and Graeme, of course) in Europe!

This is what I look like after a two hour train ride and a seven hour flight. I think it is pretty obvious how I was feeling, so there is no need to describe that part.

When Graeme and I were planning our trip to Europe (specifically France, Switzerland and Italy), I wasn't really concerned about being tired and/or dealing with jet lag. I figured that when we landed in Paris and I was tired, I'd just deal with it because we were in Paris. What I didn't anticipate, however, was that I would not sleep on our seven hour overnight flight... even  though (no matter what time of day) I always fall asleep on the plane. Chalk it up to nerves I suppose, but I arrived in Paris after 12+ hours of traveling running on almost no sleep. Hence the photo above.

Needless to say, we were in Paris, so I stuck with my original plan: power through. Graeme and I took the metro downtown (which really means nothing because so many people live in Paris and everything seems like downtown to me), saw the Notre Dame, and had some delicious hot chocolate and pastries. The photo above is of our first evening in Paris. We picked up a baguette from a local bakery, stopped the grocery store to get a bottle of wine and some cheese, and then had a picnic near the Eiffel Tower. By far, this was one of my favourite experiences. The Eiffel Tower was a lot cooler than I anticipated, and it is totally worth the time to wait around for the lights to turn on.

I have never appreciated a bed more than I did after our first day in Paris. By the time we hit the hay, we had been awake for close to 40 hours. Disgusting. Needless to say, we were up early in the morning and off for more adventure in Paris. We started the day by waiting in line to visit the Louvre. Based on this photo, it was apparently windy that morning. The Louvre made me keenly aware of the fact that a) I know almost nothing about art, and b) I am quickly irritated by large groups of people. Experiencing the Louvre was a phenomenal experience, but I could have done without the thousands of other people. Especially the 100+ people who always seemed to be in front of the Mona Lisa.

Not surprisingly, one of my favourite things about Europe in general is castles. I love architecture, and history, and all things fantastical, so I suppose a love of castles makes sense too. This castle is on the very edge of Lake Geneva in Montreaux. It took what seemed like forever to get through the whole thing (which included something like forty rooms), but it was a wonderful place. If castles weren't terribly cold during the winter months, and inevitably overrun with bugs and rodents, I would certainly live in a castle. :)

Our first wedding anniversary conveniently landed during our trip to Europe. We spent the day driving up a mountain (as per usual), and then went to this lovely restaurant to have drinks with the family. Admittedly, I am not a big flowers person. I mean, they're alright. Flowers like the one in this photo, however, are pretty mind-boggling. I was especially aware of the flowers that would not grow in Saskatchewan that totally flourish in Switzerland, namely fuchsia, which I always loved as a child. Graeme and I were really lucky not only to be in Switzerland to celebrate our first year of marriage together, but we also (as you can tell) had perfect weather!

In addition to being relatively ignorant about art, I am also ignorant about wine. Nevertheless, I was very excited to do a winery tour and have a wine tasting! Switzerland isn't necessarily known for it's wine (unlike France or Italy), but perhaps that's because something like 95% of the wine produced in Switzerland stays within the country. After a failed attempt at touring a large winery close to our chalet, and being bounced around with a few recommendations, we ended up at a small, family-owned place in a nearby village. We got a tour entirely in French, translated by Graeme's multilingual uncle, and then had a wonderful wine tasting in the late afternoon sun!

Though I am not much for shopping--I'd rather run around and see things than buy stuff--I really enjoyed the open-air market in downtown Sion. We went to the Friday morning market twice while we were in Switzerland, hunting for souvenirs and generally people-watching. I spent some time in the market on my own, writing postcards and drinking far-too-expensive cola. The only actual things that I purchased on this trip were from this market: a pair of earrings for my bestie, and a typically Swiss place mat for my Mom.

I have wanted to travel to the Mediterranean since I was in junior high. When Graeme and I were planning our trip, we didn't actually think we'd end up in the Mediterranean at all; our plan was to see a bit of northern Italy and call it good. As it turned out, driving to the coast of Italy (and thus the Mediterranean) was only about five or six hours. Surprise! A two-day trip to the Mediterranean it is. :) This photo is one of my first encounters with the Mediterranean, and obviously, I was stoked about it. Ruining my camera in an unfortunate incident involving large, salty waves of water wasn't so great... but other than that the Mediterranean treated me well!

On our second day in the Mediterranean, Graeme and I split from the rest of the group (bless their hearts, but we needed to be on our own) and went runningCinque Terra, the five villages along the coast. This photo is in what may be my favourite place in the entire universe. After running through the typically-narrow Italian streets, we happened upon a nearly thousand-year-old church, perched on top of a cliff. Crisp ocean air, waves crashing on rocks, and ancient architecture is enough to nearly make me weep with joy! Thankfully, Graeme's Dad was relatively nearby for part of our Italian adventure, hence the photo of both of us together.

Now THIS is why we went to Switzerland in the first place. This trip had been talked about for more than a year, as Graeme's Dad was retiring and Graeme's uncle was turning fifty. All the men in Graeme's family love motorbiking, so this trip was primarily for a boys' bike trip. Bless my husband, he was more than willing to have me ride along on the back of his bike for the day (actually two), and it was one of the coolest things I've ever done. Granted, I've been on a motorcycle with Graeme before, but a fifteen-minute bike ride to get groceries isn't all that exciting. Winding through mountain passes, however? AMAZING. Oddly enough, I felt a lot more safe on a motorcycle than I did in a car, because all of the Swiss and Italian roads are too darn narrow for regular vehicles!

After the three-day bike trip was over, our last day in Europe finally arrived. Instead of traveling to the Matterhorn with the rest of the family, Graeme and I opted to stay in Sion and (this is why I love my husband) go on another castle adventure! This castle was by far my favourite, and it was more of a formerly-walled city than a castle. Every day that we drove off for another Swiss adventure, we would see this castle in Sion from a distance, as it is perched on top of a hill (which is pretty obvious in the photo). After about twenty minutes of driving around the bottom of the castle, we finally figured out how to get to the top of it! We hiked from one side of the castle to the other, and loved every minute of it. The best part was having absolutely no one else around, as if the castle belonged just to us!

Europe was awesome.
Half of the rest of my 800+ photos are on facebook if you're starving for more details. :)

--- chRistie

Melancholia

I am extremely excited to see this film. It has received some suspicious reviews since Cannes, but there are others out there that think Melancholia is worth seeing. Even if it is only as beautiful and bizarre as the trailer (below), I think it will be worth my time.


Add Melancholia to the list of film posters I want to have lining a hallway someday. Read this interview with director Lars von Trier when you get the chance.
--- chRistie

Politics and Paul Dewar

Writing and/or talking about politics terrifies me.

Don't get me wrong--I am genuinely interested in politics (especially because I live in the nation's capital), and I really value the importance of dialoguing about the actions/inactions of government. However, I greatly dislike confrontation. And, given the nature of my employment and the people with whom I associate, I strive to be largely non-partisan. I suppose I am non-partisan from the get-go, but that's a bit of a different story. All that to be said, generally speaking, I keep my political thoughts to myself.

In the recent federal election, I found myself using the following framework: "If [insert name of politician] was running in my riding, I would vote for him/her." As it turns out, no one off the list of my highly-respected political figures was running in my riding. Much to my delight, I have since moved into the riding of one of my favourite politicians: Paul Dewar, the NDP MP for Ottawa Centre. Hooray!

[Paul Dewar, Jack Layton and K'naan. Photo courtesy of Paul Dewar's facebook page.]

A few days ago, my husband and I had the delight of attending a 'special announcement' at the Lord Elgin hotel in downtown Ottawa. As was no surprise, Mr. Dewar officially announced that he is is running to be leader of the federal NDP. To be perfectly honest, there is no one else I would rather have as leader of the NDP, and perhaps someday leader of our country.

He cares deeply about people and social justice, and had a phenomenal role model for his journey into politics. (NB: Many of my recent contributions to Oxfam have been to this fund for women's leadership.)He understands the value of religious beliefs but also recognizes the danger of getting religion mixed up in politics. He has been the member of parliament for Ottawa Centre since 2006, having been re-elected twice (and most recently with more than 50% of the vote). He has worked in the public school system, and has lived in central America.

So I guess I'm talking about politics. I'm talking about getting a great leader for our country's official opposition that will work to hold our government accountable for it's actions. Paul Dewar is my strictly-platonic political crush, and I want him to be the leader of the NDP.

--- chRistie

PS: If you want to see photos from the campaign launch, check out Paul Dewar's photostream. Oh, and then read another reason or two why Paul Dewar should lead the NDP.

End of Hiatus

After a long, relatively-unintentional blogging hiatus, I always struggle with how to start writing again. Often, I revamp the blog format and purpose--change the colours, start writing thematically, those sorts of things. This time, however, I'm going to make things easy for myself (especially knowing that I have two fairly sizable blog posts to be writing in the next couple of weeks). Thus, here's what I've been reading lately (and by 'lately' I probably mean in the past couple of months):

A few days into my trip to Europe, a dear and like-minded friend passed along the sad news of Jack Layton's truly untimely death. I waited for more than two weeks to read this letter, for fear of shedding more tears over the loss of such a great and influential Canadian. I will definitely treasure the signed copy of Layton's book that my (wonderful!) husband managed to get. If you're at all interested in Layton's political vision, pick up the reprint of his original 2006 publication.

Slutwalks have become a virtual phenomenon in recent months, and you can find many different opinions about their purpose, validity, et cetera with a quick Google search. I'm not particularly keen on sharing my thoughts on the movement, but I do appreciate this article from ThinkChristian. If the ultimate point of a Slutwalk is to denounce violence against women, everyone needs to be behind that message. Unless you're a misogynist I suppose.

Although I haven't managed to (shh!) read our home church summer book club pick, I am happily keeping up with Shane Claiborne's regular contributions to the Huffington Post. Most recently (and in light of Duane Buck's impending execution), Claiborne writes about God's ability to interrupt death. It's a phenomenal reminder of not only God's unending and unfathomable grace, but also our tendency to impose judgment when we're really not allowed to do so.

Much to my restorative-justice-loving chagrin, it appears that the Conservative government aims to continue with their 'tough on crime' plan now that the House is back in session. Despite the fact that the crime rate has actually decreased recently, and last year was at its lowest since the 1970s, the Conservative government aims to make streets safer. Don't get me wrong: I'm all for the end of human trafficking, and for ensuring the safety of all human beings. Nevertheless, I'm skeptical as to whether an omnibus crime bill is the best means to combat crime.

On a lighter note (although I guess it isn't light if you worked there), Borders is closing/has closed, and some employees had a few highly-accurate last words. Working in retail is one thing, but working in a bookstore falls into an entirely different category. For a more detailed understanding of who comes into a bookstore, check this out. Whether or not a chain bookstore is good for all the quirky independents is yet to be seen. And, it should be noted, though I am employed by The Man (or, when considering our Canadian ownership, The Woman)... I still love me some independent booksellers.

And duh. I love baby animals of all sorts, especially tigers.

--- chRistie

A letter to my 16-year-old self

Inspired by a post on one of my favourite websites (which was inspired by another post on another website), I have decided to write a letter to my sixteen-year-old self, aka: the me who existed almost a decade in the past.

Dearest Christie:

Sorry to break it to you, but you don't want to be a veterinarian, or a doctor. In case you've forgotten, you mostly hate math and science (even though you're reasonably good at them). You'll find something much better suited to your interpersonal skills and interests, and you'll love it.

Major congrats on getting your drivers license on the first try, even though you lost the maximum amount of points. Thankfully, you'll hardly ever have to parallel park in the next decade. You'll actually marry a guy who is an excellent parker. You will, however, be stuck with that photo ID for another five years, so don't wear such a stupid sweatshirt. You look like a twelve-year-old. And even though you won't own a stick shift until you're in your mid 20s, listen to your parents and learn to drive one now. You'll save me a lot of hassle later on.

Speaking of parents, don't bother trying to keep that guy you dated a secret. They find out anyway. Just tell them from the get-go (as awkward as it may be). You won't, by the way, date him for very long. Be proud that you had the guts to ask him out, and then move on. You'll be pretty happy to not date anyone for a long time. And don't, by the way, say anything about how you'll never date a hockey player. You'll not only date one, you'll marry one. And you'll grow to like hockey. Better to get over it now.

As for getting married, you will. In high school, you'll think that you're going to get married by the time you're about 22. Eventually, you'll find that idea terrifying, and you'll plan to start taking applications from qualified candidates sometime in your late 20s, after you've saved the world (or at least most of it). You'll get married right in the middle of all that, exactly when you don't expect to. You'll be young enough to be below the societal average (and thus weird to most people), and you'll be old enough to be above your university average (and thus weird to everyone else). Don't worry. You got married at exactly the right time.

As much as you love it, stop reading all that mindless fiction, and start reading all the classics you'll have to read for your (surprise!) English major. You'll feel way smarter, which will be helpful, considering you'll get real tired of how flipping keen everyone is. Also: Stop caring so much about your grades. Sure, they're important, but you won't be valedictorian, and it isn't worth being mad about. By the time you graduate from university, you'll just be thankful to be alive. Your grades will be plenty high enough to get you into all the classes/programs you want. It won't take you long to realize that knowing the right people and being able to make small talk will get you way further than a 4.0 GPA.

Grade 10 will feel like the ultimate worst year of your life, but I promise: it gets better. You'll have tons of great friends, feel totally comfortable with who you are, and have no problem talking about the things you believe... once you get to university. Also? You buy your clothes too big. Your fear of having clothes that are too tight and uncomfortable is stupid. Buy things that fit. And you're doing the right thing by not getting hammered like everybody else. You'll drink alcohol eventually, and you'll do it in a totally healthy, non-intoxicated way.

Don't be angry at your Mom for being who she is, or your Dad for being sick. You'll live with a lot of regret in your adult life for all the time you didn't spend hanging out with your Dad, so hang out with him now. Watch The Thin Red Line, and all those other war movies you don't think you like. You'll be happy you did it, and you won't have to cry about not doing it later on. You'll also learn that it is okay to cry, but its also okay not to talk about things if you don't want to. That's not bottling, that's continuing on with regular life in the midst of challenges.

Being sixteen feels like the worst, but it won't last long. When you said you couldn't wait to be twenty-five, you had good instincts, because it is awesome. Painful, but awesome.

--- chRistie

Read difficult books.

If you have read my previous post, or talked to me at my part-time job in the last year, you will know that I have been on somewhat of a quest to find thoughtful teen books: books that focus on more than just romantic relationships between teenagers, and force the reader to consider complicated, real-life, ethical issues. This, of course, is in largely light of the societal obsession with Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series and the proliferation of the supernatural romance genre. I carefully respond to Twilight fans by saying "I already have one immensely-popular young adult book obsession (Harry Potter), and that is enough for me". I do my best to avoid confrontation when I can.

All that being said, it is fairly obvious that more teens are reading, or at least that reading has become more acceptable in the teenage world. I remember distinctly being one of a handful of students in my graduating class who actually read books for enjoyment. Suffice it to say, my high school years are now quite a few years behind me... but it is good to see how quickly ideas can change!

Some people would say that, although teens are reading, what they're reading isn't worthwhile, or that they should be reading more non-fiction. I for one am plenty thankful that teenagers are reading in general; we can work on what they're reading once they're willing to hold a book in their hands. This brings me to the Wall Street Journal/NPR discussion of young adult literature, starting with Megan Cox Guordon's article "Darkness Too Visible", in which she highlights the darkness (and thus the danger) of recent teen lit. Guordon was subsequently responded to by Christopher John Farley with "Should Young Adult Books Explore Difficult Issues?" (to which I think the obvious answer is a resounding YES!). All of this "no don't read it!"/"yes you should!" hullabaloo was appropriately encapsulated in a recent NPR interview, "The Dangers, Values of Dark Teen Lit", between Guordon, Farley, author Patricia McCormick and librarian Candice Mack.

First of all, I love that the spirit of the conversation was focused on the fact that what teens are reading is important. Thank goodness that people have come to such a logical conclusion. And I do understand Guordon's perspective--that too great of a focus on the so-called 'darkness' of the world may cause us to lose sight of the light. However, I find it extremely difficult to think that keeping teenagers (or children for that matter) from reading or even hearing about the dark things that occur every day will do them any benefit. In fact, when I someday have children of my own, I intend to take Farley's approach: read books with my children. Now granted, 15-year-olds probably don't want (or need) story time with Mom and Dad, but I should hope that I can at least read books at the same time as my children.

The "I can't see it, and thus it doesn't exist" methods employed by far too many parents is doing obvious damage to the emotional, intellectual and ethical development of their children. It is all well and good to want to keep your children safe, but being safe and being ignorant of reality should not be synonymous. As Farley mentioned in the interview:

I think that if you start talking about cutting off exploring some of these topics in the world of literature, these topics won't disappear, they won't disappear from the kids' lives, they won't just disappear from the world, and certainly other forms of media will be ready to explore them in less interesting ways.

Being able to read well is more than just a practical skill to use in everyday life. Reading about fictional (or non-fictional) ideas that aren't easy to deal with allows teenagers a safe place to ask questions and develop strategies for dealing with difficult experiences. Obviously Hogwarts doesn't exist (though I'm sure there are some people who beg to differ in their love of HP, which I understand), but the challenge of maintaining friendships during stressful periods in life does exist. Obviously there is no such thing as the Hunger Games, but feeling the societal pressure to look/act/think a certain way is one hundred percent real.

I have great hope for teenagers. And I, like Patricia McCormick, understand that the teenagers of this generation do care about what is going on in the world around them. I know this because the students I worked with last year raised $10,000 to build a school in Africa. They obviously care. And, because they care, I think adults need to do as McCormick suggests:

[a]long with reading those books with them, that if we join them in efforts to address things like homelessness, teen pregnancy, incest, violence, that sort of thing, rather than take aim at the books, to join them where they are on their quest to make the world a better place.

Reading fiction, whether it is well-written or poorly written, dark or exuberant, allows teenagers to continue that quest to make the world a better place. If they read about a terrible world, perhaps it will cause them to realize the blessing it is to live in our world. Or, perhaps they will realize how similar that terrible, 'fictional' world is to the one in which we live. Regardless, I whole-heartedly support teens reading dark books, and not-so dark books... all on the condition that they have someone to safely discuss the book's ideas with.

On that note, a few reccomendations, all of which I have read myself. In no particular order:

• Divergent by Veronica Roth
• The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins
• The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
• The Giver by Lois Lowry
• Graceling by Kristin Cashore
• His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman
• Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak*

* This is the only listed title I have yet to read, but I still include because it has won more than a dozen awards, and one of my former co-workers (who has reputable taste in books) adored it. I promise it's filed under "to read" in my Goodreads account.

--- chRistie

Jeopardy

I read this article a few months ago, and I have intended to blog it ever since--I just wasn't sure in what capacity said article needed to be blogged. In fact, I'm still not particularly certain as to what/how I should write about Jeopardy, but I'm going to go ahead and write anyway.

First (and most notably for an English geek like myself), I love the title of this article. I'm sure the gentleman who penned this piece breathed a sign of relief when he realized that the content came up with a title on its own. All that to say, the idea of Jeopardy being in, well, jeopardy, is highly disconcerting to me. Though game shows can be lumped into the icky category of reality television, I believe that watching Jeopardy or Wheel of Fortune can actually be somewhat of a bonding experience for friends and family. I say this primarily because I have recently rediscovered Jeopardy (and Wheel of Fortune), and I get great joy from watching these shows with my husband. Granted, I am seriously lacking in trivia skills, but I am willing to bet that I could destroy you in word puzzles.

I found the issue surrounding this article (could a computer beat the two best Jeopardy contestants in history?) highly intriguing, and also highly disconcerting. Lately, it seems as though there is always a computer set up to beat/defeat a human being, or at least a form of technology set up to replace some sort of 'antiquated' method. In the case of Jeopardy, I don't even recall whether Watson-the computer--was successful in it's attempt or not. I feel the same about this issue as I do about electronic books: the old way can never be replaced. As convenient as an electronic reader may be, it will never provide the same experience as holding a book and turning the pages. The same goes for a game show like Jeopardy: watching Alex Trebek ask questions (or, more accurately, give answers to which he requires questions) to a computer will not be enjoyable. The odd characters that end up as contestants on Jeopardy are half (perhaps three quarters) of the fun!

To quote the venerable Alex Trebek (courtesy of the Newsweek article linked above):

You know, if IBM has developed a computer system that plays Jeopardy!—and I told them this—I said I’ll be impressed when you develop a robot that can host Jeopardy!

Alex Trebek. What a guy. I'm happy to say that my husband is attending Mr. Trebek's alma mater (also known as the University of Ottawa). Maybe, if I'm lucky, I'll end up being married to one of the most famous reality TV show hosts of all time? Not a likely occurrence, as my spouse does not enjoy being the center of attention. Needless to say, I hope that I can continue to enjoy periodically watching Jeopardy with my husband, although I do not hope to continue being that woman who always shouts out the wrong answers (I'm always thankful for categories like "English Literature").

If you're ever bored (and hankering for some obscure trivia), check out J! Archive, the fan-made website that keeps a log of all the clues, players, et cetera on Jeopardy. Beware: it's exhaustive/exhausting. On a related note, a post from Slate that actually gives a statistical analysis of sorts of J! Archive.

In Anticipation

Inevitably/unfortunately, summer heralds the arrival of many a 'blockbuster' film. And, despite what my husband may think (this is a very enjoyable argument that we have on a quasi-regular basis), I am all about watching a movie for the sake of entertainment. Don't get me wrong--I do love a solid thoughtful film, and I wish there were more of them... but I also have nothing against rad special effects and a mildly-predictable plot line, aka: escapism at it's very best.

So, with my minimal knowledge and relatively-uninformed opinion, here are a few of the recent/forthcoming films, along with why I want to bother seeing them.

African Cats

Release Date: April 22nd, 2011
Genre: Documentary - Nature
Synopsis: Follows the life journeys of a family of cheetahs, and a family of lions. Watch the trailer here.
Why Bother: There are cute baby animals, dramatic and heart-wrenching realities of nature... what's not to love? Though I likely won't bother to see this movie in a theatre, I do whole-heartedly want to see it. I have, as many may be aware of, somewhat of obsession with baby felines... and this film is bursting with them. Cute baby cats is enough of a reason for me to watch just about anything.

Anonymous

Release Date: September 30th, 2011
Genre: Drama - Historical

Synopsis: Deals with the question of William Shakespeare's identity, and whether or not there was more than one Shakespeare. Watch the trailer here.

Why Bother: If you have ever been in school past sixth grade, you've likely read Shakespeare. Knowing whether or not all those plays you were forced to read/couldn't understand were written by one person or a bunch of people might be interesting. The trailer makes this film seem very beautiful and vast in scope, which appeals to me. I was, however, put off initially by Roland Emmerichs' background (aka: only working on disaster movies). Nevertheless, I realized that I LOVE disaster movies, and I love Shakespeare and the surrounding conspiracy most of all.

Bhutto

Release Date: November 2010
Genre: Documentary - Biography
Synopsis: Chronicles the chaotic life of former prime minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto. Watch the trailer here.
Why Bother: Because I read Benazir Bhutto's autobiography a couple of years ago, and I absolutely loved it. She was a hugely important figure in the history of Pakistan, and in the history of women as a whole. Plus her life story reads something like a Shakespearean drama, so it's certain to be an exciting film experience.

The Hobbit

Release Date: December 19th, 2012 (part 1), December 2013 (part 2)
Genre: Action/Adventure - Fantasy
Synopsis: The precursor to Tolkien's more (or equally) famous Lord of the Rings, in which Bilbo goes on an adventure to slay a dragon with a bunch of dwarves. Oh, and he finds the One Ring. There isn't a trailer yet, but you can watch a behind-the-scenes clip here.
Why Bother: Aside from my absolute adoration of The Lord of the Rings (and Tolkien's work in general), I want to see these films largely to pick out what has been added and what has been removed. For example, particular characters from The Lord of the Rings trilogy have been added to the storyline... for what purpose, I am not certain. I'll need to re-read The Hobbit to find out who actually belongs and whatnot. I also obviously want to see this film because Peter Jackson and the Weta Workshop did such a good job on the LotR trilogy. I suppose I have high expectations.

Thor

Release Date: May 6th, 2011
Genre: Action/Adventure - Comic book
Synopsis: Thor, aka: Norse god of thunder (the guy with the hammer) battles the bad guys, etc. Watch the trailer here.
Why Bother: I have always been somewhat fascinated by mythology, particularly Greek, Roman and Norse mythology. Combine this with my love of films with special effects and my recent respect for Natalie Portman, and I have plenty of motivation to see this film. I think I was sold when I saw some serious natural disasters in the trailer (i.e. tornadoes, which both fascinate and horrify me).

The Tree of Life

Release Date: June 10th, 2011 (limited)
Genre: Drama
Synopsis: I really have no idea what this movie is going to be about, other than what it means to be human and/or how the world began. Very philosophical. Watch the trailer here.
Why Bother: The biggest reason I am going to watch this movie is because of my husband, who had been scouring IMDB for months, trying to find news of this film. Terrence Mallick waited for what seems like eons to release this film, and his previous works have been pretty impressive (i.e. The Thin Red Line). Plus on the whole, films starring Brad Pitt are pretty reputable.

Wrecked

Release Date: April 10th, 2011
Genre: Thriller - Psychological
Synopsis: A man wakes up to find that he a) has been in a car accident, and b) has no memory. Desperate attempt for survival ensues, along with the slow return of horrifying memories. Watch the trailer here.
Why Bother: Generally speaking, I'm not much for thriller-type movies, let alone anything categorized as horror. The trailer for this film, however, really intrigued me, as I find the idea of memory really fascinating (hence why Memento is one of my favourite films). I'm certain that this film will have me jumping a lot, and--a la Black Swan--questioning what is real and what isn't, but I'm looking forward to seeing this film. I want to know how they're going to approach the idea of doing something really horrible that you cannot remember at all.

X-Men: First Class

Release Date: June 3rd, 2011
Genre: Action/Adventure - Comic Book
Synopsis: A prequel of sorts to the rest of the X-Men films that explains the origins of the X-Men, and the start/evolution of the relationship between Xavier and Magneto. Watch the trailer here.
Why Bother: I have loved X-Men since I was a child. I watched the TV series all the time (in late childhood, two episodes every evening before bed), and I even went through a brief comic book collecting phase. This film in particular intrigues me because it is set during the cold war, a time period that I have become particularly fascinated with as of late because I watch too much Mad Men. Speaking of which, January Jones plays the role of Emma Frost, which I cannot wait to witness.

You Must Vote.

I have become somewhat notorious for insisting that every adult, Canadian citizen vote in federal elections. I voted on the morning of my high school graduation, in full hair and make-up... and sweatpants. And I couldn't have been more excited about it. When the federal election of 2004 was announced, I immediately asked my Mother to make me a chart, explaining what each party stood for. After receiving her assistance, reading a few newspapers, and regularly watching the news, I made a relatively informed decision, and voted. I imagine that many of my about-to-graduate classmates did not bother to vote. Unfortunately (whether they have a graduation to attend or not), close to half of voting-age Canadian youth also "won't bother".

When the federal election of 2008 occurred, I may or may not have yelled at my grade 12 students (and all my other students) about voting. I told them that if they didn't vote, they may as well find the person they trust the least and dislike the most, and ask that person to represent them in government. A little extreme, yes, but I still think that apathy in Canada is a huge problem. That being said, I leave you with Rick Mercer and his spirited encouragement to vote in the forthcoming federal election on May 2nd.



--- chRistie

The Lord of the Rings, et cetera.

When I was in the ninth grade, I attended a youth group at a local Mennonite Church. Often, I would borrow books from the church's (realistically small but seemingly gigantic) library. They had a display spinner in the foyer featuring some of the newest/most popular/must-read books of which I was particularly fond. I remember with the utmost clarity (on a typical, pre-youth group Friday evening) staring somewhat absent-mindedly at the book spinner. I noticed a book, and a very large book at that, which sounded vaguely familiar to me: The Lord of the Rings. Somewhere in my book-loving, fifteen-year-old mind, I understood that this was one of those "must read" books. Combining it's supposed must-read status with my love of challenges and reading books beyond the scope of teen lit, I decided to read this book.

All exaggerations aside, reading The Lord of the Rings changed my life.





I remember--again, with great clarity--sitting at our kitchen table with this giant (aka: 1,000+ page) book, devouring it during my evenings (when I wasn't obsessively watching ER). It took me one month and twenty days to finish reading The Lord of the Rings, and I finished sometime after my birthday and before the end of the school year. To my extreme and exuberant joy, I discovered shortly after reading the book that there was to be (gasp!) a film version of my new-found favourite. I can, thus, happily include myself in the company of those who read and loved Tolkien's work before seeing the epic trilogy on screen.

That Christmas, my parents bought me my very own copies of The Lord of the Rings--thankfully, this edition was divided into the three individual books rather than stuffed into one slightly inaccessible and highly cumbersome volume. I read those books repeatedly: read them on long drives to remote locations with my Dad, in preparation for the release of film (to ensure that I knew, 100%, whether the film was accurate or not), whenever I hadn't found something else to read that struck my fancy.

Since childhood, I have been both highly imaginative and highly logical. I never believed in Santa Claus (cookies were set out for my Dad to eat), but each of my stuffed animals had a birthday (for which my Mom would always bake a cake). When I was eight-years-old, I picked up a copy of Into the Land of the Unicorns by Bruce Coville. I read that book so. many. times. that I practically had it memorized. There was something about a magical world/alternate universe with clear distinctions between good an evil that appealed to me. Hence the appeal of Tolkien's work that I encountered seven (ish) years later.

I've been struggling to finish this post for what seems like forever, which is likely because I have so much to say about this topic. So, rather than suffering through my overzealous self-editing any longer, I'm just going to share a few related links and move on.

First of all, this editorial from more than a year ago. The columnist's point seems pretty obvious to me, but it is an interesting read nonetheless. I'm not going to say 'no' to an article that combines two of my favourite things (LotR and feminism).

Second (and after much anticipation), filming of The Hobbit has finally begun! I am, of course, always hesitate to see the film adaptation of a much-loved book. HOWEVER, when Peter Jackson stepped in after whatshisname from Pan's Labyrinth backed out, I was pretty much sold on the two-part adaptation.

Third, a conflicting dispute on whether or not JRR Tolkien should be allowed to be used in fiction. I think Tolkien is a fascinating human being, and his life/works deserve to be recognized... plus I don't like the implications of a case like this going through. It is, however, a thought-provoking article!

And lastly, if you're feeling inspired (not to mention highly knowledgeable), try out this quiz. I used to take this quiz over and over and over again in my late high school years, in the hopes that I could finish the entire thing. As of late, my performance has been--to say the least--lacklustre.

Should you ever wish to engage me in a conversation for a long period of time, might I suggest a discussion regarding The Lord of the Rings?

--- chRistie

Joy.

This is a (totally mindless?) post of joy about two of the internet things that make me laugh the most, regardless of how many times I look at them. One of these websites I discovered relatively recently; the other has been a part of my life since my early university years (which, by the way, were quite a while ago). I suppose I have a fairly obscure and particular sense of humour, but these two websites never fail to bring me great joy.

 Hyperbole and a Half

I discovered Hyperbole and a Half sometime during PDP, a time in which I was always angry at my teenage students for not knowing how to write words/sentences properly. Thus enters the Alot, a helpful way for dealing with teenagers' inability to spell. I have become particularly fond of "This is Why I'll Never Be An Adult", as I'm happily trying to avoid my own adulthood. I did, however, clean all of the things this weekend...

 and

 

Teen Girl Squad

I spent many an hour (yes, hour) during my first few years of university watching TGS. Some of those hours were in the middle of a power outage, using dwindling laptop battery power. At one point, I think I could recite all of the (then eight) episodes verbatim. Such a handy talent to possess. There is even a photo in my university yearbook of my apartment door with the TGS drawing seen above on it. Issue 4 was always my favourite.

There.

Mindless joy = shared.

--- chRistie

Gushing.

The photo above was taken three hundred and sixty-six days ago.

It is such an honest photo.

I was (am) so stoked about marrying (being married to) Graeme.

March 13th was also the day Rory Russell was born!

What a good day. :)

--- chRistie

I am a woman!

Today is International Women's Day*, which may be just another day on the calendar to many people (we often forget about days that aren't statutory holidays and/or days that don't involve some sort of costumed mascot). To me, however, International Women's Day is far more important than that. March 8th is a day on which I consciously take time to reflect on the many blessings I have, being an educated/middle class/North American woman... and recognize that there are millions of women in the world who are not so blessed.

Part of what I love about IWD (other than the obvious 'I am a woman' part, and it's addition to the almost always holiday-vacant month of March) is that it isn't affiliated with a particular faith, or a particular country--it is day for everyone everywhere.

I've been struggling in the past few days with my recent lack of blogging, and the subsequent "well that's because I didn't know what to blog about" thought. So, in light of IWD, I'm just going to re-post a few of my most recent and favourite articles... all of which are quite obviously related to women.

• Peggy Orenstein's thoughtful piece on the lack of female superheroes in the lives of young girls. She has a new book on it's way entitled Cinderella Ate My Daughter, which strikes me as a wittier, younger version of Reviving Ophelia by Mary Pipher.
• Arianna Huffington's heartfelt post about IWD, and how her mother helped her become such a remarkably successful woman. I absolutely love how she writes about her mother's hatred of multitasking... how it was so antithetical to truly experiencing life. If only, eh?
• A healthy reminder from one of my favourite non-profits that--despite the greatness of IWD--Oxfam is working for the rights of women every day of the year. It's important to remember that issues of women's rights aren't just about taking care of women, and making them feel all equal and warm and fuzzy, but about bettering society as a whole.
• And lastly, but definitely not least, The Guardian's Top 100 Women list, which I simply adore (especially the sub category of writing and academia). What a wonderful way to recognize the amazing contributions of women in all dimensions of our world! I particularly love that Ellen Johnson Sirleaf made the politics list as I can only dream of kicking as much butt as she does when I'm in my seventies. Put her autobiography on the top of your 'to read' list, as it is a phenomenal story.

There is in every true woman's heart, a spark of heavenly fire, which lies dormant in the broad daylight of prosperity, but which kindles up and beams and blazes in the dark hour of adversity. - Washington Irving

--- chRistie

* If you're particularly keen on history, the IWD website gives a pretty solid explanation as to why IWD came about, and what has happened in the past one hundred years of its existence. There's also a fairly good overview/opinion piece at Feministing if you want an unofficial explanation.

Vive la revolution?

I'm going to be honest and say that I have done a fairly poor job of keeping up with the Egyptian Revolution, which is ironic, because Egypt is one of the countries I want to visit the most (note: please see grade 9 "dream vacation" project for ample proof). One would assume that by wanting to travel to a particular country, one would at least pay attention to what is happening there (especially if that something was a big deal).

Nope.
I didn't.
Egypt was having a revolution, it was rad, and that's all.

My husband loves the idea of a revolution, and told me that he'd like to be a part of a revolution some day. I think I asked something like "where are you going to do that?" Silly, practical, safe Christie... I'd rather just, well, not need a revolution, you know? In my perfect socialist utopia, everyone would get along and everything would be wonderful! :) All that to be said, I just didn't pay attention, other than to be confused as to whether Mubarak was going to step down or not.

The point I am trying to get to, however, is that I read a great article in HuffPo today by an author that I learned to respect at some point during my undergrad: Brian McLaren. The summer after my third year (while my new boyfriend/now husband was on a travel study in Australia), I took a two-week Religious Studies course, in which we read McLaren's The Secret Message of Jesus. Considering it was summer, I was barely twenty-one, and I was taking the course with one of my best girlfriends, I don't remember too much about that class. What I do remember, however, is McLaren's ability to change my way of thinking about faith.

We discussed McLaren as one of those "emergent" Christians (which is still a term that I only vaguely understand), someone who didn't do what everyone else did or think what everyone else thought. And, being who I was at the time (twenty-one, flighty, having the typical undergraduate life crisis), I liked that. So I retained some of the basic tenants that McLaren wrote about into my later life, and he's on my list of 'thinkers' to get reacquainted with.

All that to be said (and "all that" was quite a lot of possibly-erroneous background information), I really appreciated Brian McLaren's article on the parallels between the Egyptian Revolution and the Protestant Reformation. I really think that McLaren has a heart for unification of people, and for being who Jesus was: a man who loved. I have to ask the same question that McLaren poses in his article:

What would happen if Christians (who make up about 33 percent of the world's population) and Muslims (who make up about 24 percent) were to join with Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, atheists, and agnostics in this shared spirit (or Spirit), risking ourselves for one another, working together for the common good, opposing the tyranny of political war-mongers and economic elites, united for the sake of the planet, for the sake of the poor, for the sake of peace?

Really though.
How could our world be transformed and redeemed?

Long post made short: please read Brian McLaren. :) I'm really looking forward to finally getting my hands on Everything Must Change, which I'm sure will be phenomenal in light of my more recent desire to work overseas. Speaking of which, the husband and I are considering a stint with CUSO-VSO after he finishes his Masters in summer of 2012. Or, rather, a stint overseas somewhere doing something. CUSO-VSO is just one of many well-known/reputable organizations that would actually put our collective professional experience to use.

--- chRistie

Animals of the small variety.

Baby animals are one of my favourite things in the entire universe. My internet weakness (aka: the website I spend the most time browsing) is ZooBorns, a website dedicated entirely to baby wild animals. Just a warning: this post is not going to be thoughtful in any capacity. It is, however, going to have an excessive amount of baby animal love. All photos, by the way, snagged from the ZooBorns website. Oh, and if you aren't able to ascertain this from the photos below, baby felines are my favourite.

Baby lion reluctantly learning to swim. I love his little scrunchy nose!

Sleepy little cheetah!

Amur Tiger. Just want to cuddle!

Baby Amur Leopard. There are only 40 Amur Leopards left in the wild!

And, for my husband, a baby Chimpanzee. My husband loves monkeys.

Baby Fennec Fox with the most gigantic ears (and a frowny face).

My favourite non-feline animal, Red Pandas! They look more like a fox/raccoon hybrid...

If I didn't despise science so much, I would likely consider going back to school to study zoology. Interestingly enough, I wanted to be a veterinarian for most my life, a dream which was dashed when I realized I could not handle seeing a sedated animal be sliced! I nevertheless find it hard to believe that it is someone's job to cuddle baby tigers. Really? I would pay to do that.

A more thoughtful/less cute post to come in the near future. For now? Delight in the cuteness!

--- chRistie

Michael Crichton.

My husband got me a first edition hardcover copy of Michael Crichton's Disclosure for my birthday. I cannot begin to express how much I adore Michael Crichton. In some ways, I feel I should refer to Crichton as my 'guilty pleasure' reading, as his works aren't "classics", don't transcend time, and generally read like a good suspense movie. On the other hand, however, I completely and totally respect Michael Crichton as an author, because he was a highly educated (read: Harvard for med school) man, and wrote about what he knew.

The first Michael Crichton book I read was in high school, and was--interestingly enough--for my English class. Thankfully, I had an English teacher with slightly obscure taste in literature who was unwilling to compromise on picking the books that he thought we should read. So, in grade 11 I believe, I read The Andromeda Strain. Having read this book so long ago, I have to admit that I only vaguely remember the storyline. What I do remember, however, is that I couldn't put it down. And I've felt the same way about almost* every book that Crichton wrote.

In most cases, I'm a fairly big proponent of reading for the sake of reading (aka: if you are reading a book, that is better than not reading a book). I tend to run against the grain when it comes to hugely popularized fiction (though Harry Potter is indeed the exception), but I know all too well that there are too many people who do not read. And, for those who are actually capable of reading, there are too many who simply will not be bothered with picking up a book. All that to be said, there is something about the way that Crichton writes that just dazzles me. Maybe it's the short chapters, maybe my intrigue for all things scientific and technological is growing... I'm not sure. What I do know, however, is that I love reading Michael Crichton.

--- chRistie

* I started reading Pirate Latitudes shortly after it's posthumous release and haven't finished it yet. I'm not sure if the content is too different, or if the editing done after Crichton's passing changed his style... it's just not my favourite.

Birthday(s).

Four years ago, I was tortured blessed by some of my closest friends on my twenty-first birthday. One of those friends is now my husband, pictured below (grimacing with tape in hand). Graeme, my "friend" at the time, had the foresight to chivalrously lend me his shirt... and then proceeded to tape me to a wall and stand idly by as five gallons of water were poured on my head.

And then we started dating less than a month later.

I've been trying to think of a relevant and/or legitimate twenty-fifth birthday post for the last week or two, and I just didn't know where to begin. I haven't been feeling particularly reflective or nostalgic about the whole thing (although a lot has happened since my birthday last year). I've only come to recognize that I am now--officially) in my mid-twenties... and there is no turning back.

I had an interesting conversation with a couple at Chapters a few weeks ago, which began--innocently enough--because of an Archie graphic novel. The endless dilemma: will Archie marry Betty or Veronica (and, more importantly, will he ever get any older)? I make a comment about how Archie comics have been around since before I was a kid, Couple marvels at how I am "a baby", standard age-related small talk ensues. Then they ask me:

What do you think will be the best age? 

What a fascinating question. I responded, mumbling something about now being good in a lot of ways (which it is), but adding that I imagine my mid-thirties will be good too, because I will have done a lot of cool things by then. Couple (who are likely in their mid-fifties) collectively decided that forty was the best. How immensely encouraging.

So today, on my twenty-fifth birthday (which I will enjoy), I look forward to the birthday I will have in another fifteen years... because apparently, it is going to be the best. :)

--- chRistie

What happened then, part one (subtitle The Beginning).

In light of other things that have come to pass, I am beginning a series of posts by starting with one previously written. My hope is that by re-posting (and thus revisiting) some of my old entries, I'll be able to properly illumniate the metaphorical darkness of my experiences. Some five or six years ago, I wrote this post, and--modesty aside--I think it is one of the most authentic and well-articulated pieces of writing that I have ever produced. Emphasis on the autheticity I suppose, as I hope that my writing has improved at least a little in more than half a decade. Convolulted and vague as the introduction to this post may seem, I think this is the way it has to be, in the interest of continued authenticity and avoiding anachronistic posts. All that being said, a journey back to May and/or June of 2005 (with no additional editing):

A quote taken from a recently written journal entry in a newly acquired journal to start things off: "It began with a phone call. A simple phone call at work has changed the entire course of my life and the lives of those around me."

Italics seem appropriate. Enjoy reading them. My father has parkinson's disease. I recently came to the realization that ten years have passed since his delayed diagnosis. Tuesday morning, he went to CR to run some errands. He was standing on a friend's step and it was hot outside, and he passed out. He fell off the step, four steps above the ground, and hit his head on the cement.

The ambulance was phoned, as was my mother, and my father was taken to the nearest hospital... 30 minutes away. He may have lost consciousness for a short period of time, but he was awake soon after falling... just quite confused and tired.

*deep breaths*

Because my mom is an RN and is so used to taking care of my dad, the doctor let her take him home. She tried to get him to eat or drink something, but he was so tired and lethargic that he just couldn't. All this time, I was at work, living in a bubble of semi-contented happiness.

My mom got worried. My dad was very confused. She was afraid so she called a friend to help her get my dad to the hospital again. She called me at 4:50 pm, numerous hours after things had happened. I remember making a very loud exclamation of "No!" when my mother told me in a trembling voice "this isn't good news."

I stayed at work until I was done, though I was free to leave. I, lacking a head injury, did not understand what was happening. In reality, I was a polite and concerned daughter. In my head, I was screaming profanities at the incompetent hospital staff who didn't know enough information and couldn't make me understand.

My father was taken by ambulance to Royal University Hospital to Emerg to eventually have a CT scan. Mom and I returned home to pick up some things (I neglected to bring an actual change of clothes) and then drove the 3.5 hours to Saskatoon.

He was put in a casting room. My old pastor met us at the hospital. The doctor eventually told us that when he fell, his brain bounced in his head, which resulted in two bruises, or two small bleeding areas. I believe this means my father has a concussion (which sounds okay) or a brain injury (which sounds not okay).

I am tired of writing. After moving from the cast room to the CT scan to the cast room again to curtain four to the hallway to the fifth floor to the sixth floor (finally. Neurology and Neuro surg), my father was more confused and more tired. My mom was a complete mess. I don't know what I was. I thought we were waiting to see a doctor and then to get a room upstairs, but it was just to get a room upstairs. My father would be seen sometime and would have some tests. No specifics, no actual information. Granted the Neuro nurses are much better than the nurses of the proverbial walk-in clinic that is emerg in reality. They cared more... were more personable and real.

Conclusion: Tuesday night to Wednesday night ran together into one very long hell. My crying comes erratically, and for no particular reason. My mother's crying is almost constant and is like that of a woman who has lost her true love forever. My soul is exhausted. I am attempting to cling to what faith I have left, but I believe I lost my grip somewhere in between finding out the bad news and hearing the possibility of my father having alzheimer's disease. He is 56 years old.

This is probably the longest entry I have ever written, and rightly so. I don't know what to do, cannot seem to be comforted by anything but avoidance. The one resounding thought that passes through my mind is that my father will not be able to walk me down the aisle if I am so blessed to be married one day. My father may end up in a nursing home. My mother is no longer capable of working, thus as soon as I graduate with a B.Ed, I shall have to help my parents financially.

Once upon a time, a little girl and her father played catch, rode four-wheelers, fed cattle, had fun. But then something happened. It didn't happen quickly, even though it seemed quite sudden, but the little girl's father disappeared. So now she sits alone, staring out a very small window of hope, encaged in a castle of darkness and ever-wondering if her father will be returned.

Aye, there's the rub: will I ever get my father back?

"I wish I hadn't cried so much!" said Alice, as she swam about, trying to find her way out. "I shall be punished for it now, I suppose, by being drowned in my own tears!"

--- chRistie