Trying Out Something New

Kaiser High School recently put on a wonderful program for the elementary- and middle-school-aged kids in the area. They started with a little chat on Drug, Alcohol and tobacco Abuse and then allowed the kids to choose two different sports clinics to attend. All of the school sports teams were there. It was impressive for the younger kids to see some cool athletes and to learn from them. Tyson chose volleyball and water polo. Zac and I were impressed with the whole show, and we as parents, even got to attend our own little clinic to learn about concussions. It really was a great event (fun and informational). Plus, the highlight of the day for Zac: meeting coach Jon Stanley (volleyball hall-of-fame player).

Someone Else Likes to Read almost as much as Me

Appreciation

Tyson has his own little email account he opened to keep in touch with friends in Massachusetts, and grandmas and grandpas, etc. I, also, have fun sending him emails every now and then. Last week I sent Tyson a simple email that said I was proud of him. He asked in his reply for more concrete examples of why I was proud of him. I made a little list (so easy with that boy) and sent it off to him; it was so fun to see Tyson's smile after reading it. Then he sneakily sent me one more email that said, "Well Mom, I love you. Do you want to know why I love you?" Of course I replied that I did want to know. His cute response:

"You feed me all the time, you do my laundry, you help me with homework, you read me charlie bone and you love me." What a kid. His simple reply really made me feel appreciated. It's always great to have people recognize the little things you do.

Man I love this boy!

Stuck in Scotland

After a recommendation from my good friend, Elisabeth, I finally got my hands on the book, Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon. The book reeled me in, quick as can be, and I still feel like I'm stuck dangling on the hook. Its impact reminds me of how I felt after reading the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. I didn't want to/couldn't put it down. It's a fairly lengthy novel, but a super easy read. I think Elisabeth mentioned that it has a few steamy parts and boy, she wasn't kidding! The tale of romance at the heart of the story is intense and continues to revolve in your mind–my mind at least–even after having long finished the book. The characters, Jamie Fraser and Claire Beauchamp Randall, are intriguing in the way they interact, love, fight, forgive and constantly watch out for one another. Outlander is labeled a fantasy, but the genre of romance suits it almost as well.

Actually, I'm not a huge fan of romances, I tend to steer clear of the unrealistic views of relationships present in romance fiction, so for me to stay engrossed with a love story there needs to be an element of the fantastical, or some other component which excites and persuades me to keep reading page after page. This book adds time travel and non-stop action into the amorous tale to keep its reader poised on the edge of their seat (or maybe with a finger poised on each page ready to turn as quickly as possible as to not miss a word). My goodness, I'm still stuck in the Scottish highlands of 1744; I keep looking around for kilts, dirks, tall Norse-looking redheads, lochs, and granite stones rising out of the landscape. I felt drawn into the scenes as if I were Bastien reading some alternate version of "The Never-Ending Story" and being tugged into the tale as if I, as the reader, influenced how the plot would continue. Obviously that is not the case, I had no effect, otherwise such and such would have happened (can't say more than that to keep from ruining it for anyone else), but it proves what a convincing writer Diana Gabaldon is in providing an attention-grabbing story.

I pulled up her website and read about how the story came to be. She mentions that she started writing, just to see if she could write a novel, and included a little bit of everything: war, sex, history, violence, religion, courage, time travel, etc.. Wow! It really does have it all. At times I thought the multiplicity of stuff felt overdone–I will admit that, and I even wondered aloud at one point, "really?", but it is a fantasy so I guess I can see how, inevitably, all those crazy components fit together.

So, would I recommend this to a friend? Yes, with a few stipulations: 1. There are some passionate sex scenes (holy moly! I had to read some of them aloud to Zac just to clear my conscience), so don't read it if that will make you feel uncomfortable, and 2. this book is total mind candy; it's not a story to teach you much, so only read it if you want to be entertained. That being said, Gabaldon's novel will captivate and take you out of your little world, so if you need an escape, then Outlander should, by all means, be your next read.

Something Fun to Do

Due to the fact that the job market refuses to see me as a highly employable person, I have signed up to be a volunteer at the local library. I get to help sort book donations and chat with a bunch of awesome women who love books as much (if not more) than me. I was pleased to find that most of them also happen to be English majors. I get to question them on the many things they have done with their English degree; I'm hoping it will help inspire me that much more. The best perk of the job: dibs on reading the interesting books donated. Just yesterday I discovered two Arthurian-legend books that I'm excited to read. One is The Book of Merlyn by T.H. White, and the other is Fergus of Galloway, Knight of King Arthur by Guillame Le Clerc (translated by D.D.R. Owen). Oh how fun!

Words vs. Actions

I finally finished reading Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser. What a thoughtful story--meaning the narrator shares many insights that allow the reader to stop and think about how the story acts as an analogy for real life. Sister Carrie is a piece of literature chocked full of quotes to stockpile for everyday situations. I'm surprised I haven't heard or seen more quotes from this novel.

Here are a few of my favorites:

"Transplantation is not always successful in the matter of flowers or maidens."

"Society possesses a conventional standard whereby it judges all things. All men should be good, all women virtuous. Wherefore, villain, hast thou failed."

and my favorite, the one that has prompted me to make this post:

"People in general attach too much importance to words. They are under the illusion that talking effects great results. As a matter of fact, words are, as a rule, the shallowest portion of all the argument. They but dimly represent the great surging feelings and desires which lie behind. When the distraction of the tongue is removed, the heart listens."

Brilliant!

I can't count the number of times I've felt the need to talk and talk and talk to try and express my feelings, whether it be to my husband, my children, my family or my friends, and then often find that only a fraction of what I need to convey is understood. Yet, then I reflect on the times I've simply snuggled up with a loved one on the couch to watch a movie or read a book, smiled proudly at one of their accomplishments, or cried alongside a friend; the emotions expressed during those times are much more genuine, and are communicated more correctly than with any spoken word. I think Dreiser must have been a very wise man.

"When the distraction of the tongue is removed, the heart listens."

I think I want to make that sentiment part of my New Year's resolutions--to just listen more. Enough said.

Free Will vs. Instinct

I've been reading Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser. I came across a passage at the beginning of chapter eight that I keep thinking about. Let me share it:

"We see man far removed from the lairs of the jungles, his innate instincts dulled by too near an approach to free will, his free will not sufficiently developed to replace his instincts and afford him perfect guidance. He is becoming too wise to hearken always to instincts and desires; he is still too weak to always prevail against them...In this intermediate stage he wavers--neither drawn in harmony with nature by his instincts nor yet wisely putting himself into harmony by his own free will. He is even as a wisp in the wind, moved by every breath of passion, acting now by his will and now by his instincts, erring with one, only to retrieve by the other, falling by one, only to rise by the other--a creature of incalculable variability. We have the consolation of knowing that evolution is ever in action, that the ideal is a light that cannot fail. he will not forever balance thus between good and evil. When this jangle of free will and instinct shall have been adjusted, when perfect understanding has given the former the power to replace the latter entirely, man will no longer vary. The needle of understanding will yet point steadfast and unwavering to the distant pole of truth."

Dreiser points out a conflict between Free Will and Instinct. He contends that they oppose one another and it is not until man conquers instinct and settles in with free will that "truth" will be reached. I find this an interesting statement. First of all, how often do we find ourselves struggling between our instincts and our own wills? I've contemplated which sentiment I lean toward the most. When it comes to chocolate, I have no free will, I need it! I don't feel like I have a choice (ha-ha). But really, how often do I go with my "gut instinct" on things--often enough that I question why Dreiser prefers to think that truth is aligned with Free Will and not Instinct.

What exactly does truth have to do with either sentiment? Isn't there truth in being connected with one's instincts as well as one's agency? I'm still thinking it all through, but I thought it was an interesting enough question to blog about. Perhaps my friends have more decisive answers. Do you side with Dreiser, is the path to truth taken by triumph of man's instincts, or is truth found in allying one's self with the natural, instinctual impulses which lead us through life? Or is truth found in the balance?

While you mull over my bizarre thoughts, here are a few photos from a recent dive to accompany you on your journey to enlightenment: