1. I've never been more thankful for my family's utter honesty with each other than I am this week. I don't care if people find it odd that the second one of us tells another something the other two know, frankly I much prefer it to anything else. Honesty may just be the definition of family for me.
2. I have a much much deeper appreciation for my sister and my brother-in-law this week. For 4 years I watched them come visit me in Gettysburg without being able to understand the nostalgic, sad look on their faces each time, and now this week, I finally understand that feeling.
3. This week I've realized that at least 2 of my professors are some of the most awesome people I've ever met, and that 20 years down the line when I'm standing in front of a congregation that will be in large part because of them.
4. I've realized how absolutely annoyed I am by circular conversation in which nothing gets decided, no matter how fruitful people claim it is.
5. Everything could someday be used in a sermon.
6. The significant difference between an unorthodox friendship that is completely healthy and a completely unhealthy unorthodox friendship, and that I'm glad I can finally recognize the difference and be happy I'm on the other side of things.
7. That if you look to hard to find meaning--you won't, but if you step back and just let yourself soak it in--you absolutely will (and you'll end up appreciating a green volleyball:) )
8. A conversation about the Medieval World can actually become one of the most hilarious conversations you've ever had in your life.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
Paging Pitchers and Catchers
It's officially the 2009 baseball season!! Well it'll be my baseball season in 1 hour and 3 minutes..so 10 am, but still. So today Lakeland, Florida will be graced by the presence of a pitching staff the entire city of Detroit is praying can rebound from a pathetic collapse of respectability last year. This Spring Training brings with it the hope that the arms of Jeremy Bonderman and Joel Zumaya are healthy and not days, weeks, or minutes away from another season ending injury. Including the fate of the pitching staff though, there are several questions probably weighing--excitedly and nervously--on the minds of all Detroit Tigers' fans.
1. How will the starting rotation shake out?
4 of the 5 starting spots should be accounted for with only one new name entering the usual Tigers pitching fray. At the start of the season we're looking at a hopefully healthy, slider-ready Jeremy Bonderman, a newly re-signed Justin Verlander, hopefully not just a rookie sensation Armando Galarraga, and the newcomer Edwin Jackson. Now this leaves one spot open for one of 3 players...none of whom is Kenny Rogers--a pitcher Tigers fans will have to get used to not seeing this year. Jim Leyland and new pitching coach Rick Knapp are going to have to decide between Zach Miner, Nate Robertson, and the massive disappointment Dontrelle Willis. It's a toss-up, probably wholly dictated by health on the part of Willis. One thing is for sure is that fans are not going to be tolerant of continuous shake ups which were such a part of last season's disappointment. A decision..a consistent decision..is going to have to be made in the coming weeks. It's hard to tell which side fans are going to fall on, but they've gotten used to Miner's consistency coming out of the bullpen, and Nate had a bad season last year, but is still a fan favorite, and could be useful in the bullpen as another left-handed option along with Bobby Seay who the staff became a little too reliant on last season that he wore his arm out.
2. Will this year be characterized by incessant shifts in positioning on the field?
Fans across Detroit are screaming "Please God NO" to this question, since many believe that the obsession of constantly switching up players positions-especially Carlos Guillen-led to the inconsistency of the offense. 2009 should hopefully bring stability with some of the off-season transactions. Barring any problems during Spring Training, opening day should yield a diamond looking something like this--C Gerald Laird (acquired from the Rangers), 1B Miguel Cabrera, 2B Placido Polanco, SS Adam Everett (stolen from the Twins), 3B Brandon Inge (returning to where he belongs with the acquisition of Laird), LF Carlos Guillen (the biggest shift but hopefully where he'll stay), CF Curtis Granderson, and RF Magglio Ordonez.
3. What about Sheff?
Well, amazingly 2009 opens with Gary Sheffield as still part of the Tigers roster despite the rumors flying since last July that Sheff was unhappy with his responsibilities of being solely the DH, but that seems to be where he's staying..for now. If the start of the season brings with it the lack of production characteristic of Sheff in the dog days of summer (and spring and fall) from last year, fans will be calling for the enstatement of Marcus Thames as the permanent DH, maybe taking up LF with Guillen as the DH on off-days.
4. Who's closing?
This will probably be the most talked about competition in the Tigers camps for the next month and a half. With the much celebrated retirement of Todd Jones, the Tigers find themselves without a closer, a job that was consistently rotated throughout August and September last year. So what's going to happen and who's up for the job? There are 3 bullpen guys vying for the most controversial job on the roster. 1. Fernando Rodney--originally named the Tigers everyday starter after the All-Star break last year whose pitching was unbelievably inconsistent, leading him to be boo-ed more times than one can count in Comerica Park. Again health will be the biggest question here as well. 2. Joel Zumaya--Zoom hasn't seemed to be the same guy since 2 non-baseball related shoulder injuries over the past 2 years--Tigers' fans have grown to fear Guitar Hero and moving boxes leaping out and attacking the triple-digit fast ball hurler. He may be the most likely candidate if he can find a groove and keep from destroying his baseball career with rambunctious video game playing. 3. Brandon Lyon--picked up by the Tigs in the offseason after Rodney's collapse down the stretch last year. He's labeled right now as the favorite by the staff since that's what he was brought in for, but if Zumaya steps up there could be a heady race ahead.
Needless to say the stories coming out of Lakeland over the next few weeks should be interesting, and hopefully this few days with only the pitchers and catchers will give the staff a good start at working out last years kinks. We're down to 17 minutes and counting, but only time will tell if the Tigers are doomed to return to the baseball joke bin, or restore their 2006 cloat with stability and consistency.
1. How will the starting rotation shake out?
4 of the 5 starting spots should be accounted for with only one new name entering the usual Tigers pitching fray. At the start of the season we're looking at a hopefully healthy, slider-ready Jeremy Bonderman, a newly re-signed Justin Verlander, hopefully not just a rookie sensation Armando Galarraga, and the newcomer Edwin Jackson. Now this leaves one spot open for one of 3 players...none of whom is Kenny Rogers--a pitcher Tigers fans will have to get used to not seeing this year. Jim Leyland and new pitching coach Rick Knapp are going to have to decide between Zach Miner, Nate Robertson, and the massive disappointment Dontrelle Willis. It's a toss-up, probably wholly dictated by health on the part of Willis. One thing is for sure is that fans are not going to be tolerant of continuous shake ups which were such a part of last season's disappointment. A decision..a consistent decision..is going to have to be made in the coming weeks. It's hard to tell which side fans are going to fall on, but they've gotten used to Miner's consistency coming out of the bullpen, and Nate had a bad season last year, but is still a fan favorite, and could be useful in the bullpen as another left-handed option along with Bobby Seay who the staff became a little too reliant on last season that he wore his arm out.
2. Will this year be characterized by incessant shifts in positioning on the field?
Fans across Detroit are screaming "Please God NO" to this question, since many believe that the obsession of constantly switching up players positions-especially Carlos Guillen-led to the inconsistency of the offense. 2009 should hopefully bring stability with some of the off-season transactions. Barring any problems during Spring Training, opening day should yield a diamond looking something like this--C Gerald Laird (acquired from the Rangers), 1B Miguel Cabrera, 2B Placido Polanco, SS Adam Everett (stolen from the Twins), 3B Brandon Inge (returning to where he belongs with the acquisition of Laird), LF Carlos Guillen (the biggest shift but hopefully where he'll stay), CF Curtis Granderson, and RF Magglio Ordonez.
3. What about Sheff?
Well, amazingly 2009 opens with Gary Sheffield as still part of the Tigers roster despite the rumors flying since last July that Sheff was unhappy with his responsibilities of being solely the DH, but that seems to be where he's staying..for now. If the start of the season brings with it the lack of production characteristic of Sheff in the dog days of summer (and spring and fall) from last year, fans will be calling for the enstatement of Marcus Thames as the permanent DH, maybe taking up LF with Guillen as the DH on off-days.
4. Who's closing?
This will probably be the most talked about competition in the Tigers camps for the next month and a half. With the much celebrated retirement of Todd Jones, the Tigers find themselves without a closer, a job that was consistently rotated throughout August and September last year. So what's going to happen and who's up for the job? There are 3 bullpen guys vying for the most controversial job on the roster. 1. Fernando Rodney--originally named the Tigers everyday starter after the All-Star break last year whose pitching was unbelievably inconsistent, leading him to be boo-ed more times than one can count in Comerica Park. Again health will be the biggest question here as well. 2. Joel Zumaya--Zoom hasn't seemed to be the same guy since 2 non-baseball related shoulder injuries over the past 2 years--Tigers' fans have grown to fear Guitar Hero and moving boxes leaping out and attacking the triple-digit fast ball hurler. He may be the most likely candidate if he can find a groove and keep from destroying his baseball career with rambunctious video game playing. 3. Brandon Lyon--picked up by the Tigs in the offseason after Rodney's collapse down the stretch last year. He's labeled right now as the favorite by the staff since that's what he was brought in for, but if Zumaya steps up there could be a heady race ahead.
Needless to say the stories coming out of Lakeland over the next few weeks should be interesting, and hopefully this few days with only the pitchers and catchers will give the staff a good start at working out last years kinks. We're down to 17 minutes and counting, but only time will tell if the Tigers are doomed to return to the baseball joke bin, or restore their 2006 cloat with stability and consistency.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Honesty may just be the best policy
Well after listening to Alex Rodriguez talk to Peter Gammons for 40 minutes, I stand somewhat amazed. This is the first player of prominence--yes I'm ignoring Andy Pettite--who has come out with utter honesty WITHOUT a.) blaming trainers, doctors, nutrionists, etc for giving them steroids b.) throwing other people under the bus and using their guilt as an excuse to point the finger at other people and c.) actually being honest. As a baseball fan, I have been nothing short of disgusted about the state of baseball and the 'roid era. I'm disgusted that some of the greatest records in the history of this game have fallen into the hands of those who only got them by pumping their bodies full of drugs, but what I've been even more disgusted with is the lack of honesty and openness, once steroids were declared illegal. A-Rod has a point that 6 years ago pre-Bonds, pre-BALCO, pre-Mitchell Report the idea of "banned substances" was not what it is today, the lines were blurred, and he's right some of these products were on your average GNC shelf. I'm not saying this excuses him, however, I must say I astounded myself by actually believing him in his interview. He seemed to express genuine honesty, regret, and rehabilitation. It was almost refreshing after watching Barry Bonds for the past 2 years swear left, right, and sideways that he was clean, while the entire world knew he wasn't. Not when one can pick up his baseball cards from his Pirate days and he was all of a skinny 225lbs, and now he's a hulking behemoth of a man. I was actually impressed by A-Rod's regulation of his weight and it does almost speak to his creditability that he hasn't bulked up or displayed disproportionate weight gains/losses, so indicative of 'roid usage. Now I'm not saying that this interview excuses him, but what I must say is that if he is telling the truth--and that will be purely subjective because we have no way of knowing--I think there are ways to move beyond this, and ways that A-Rod could see his name hanging in Cooperstown in 15 years. If he only used from '01-'03, then MLB should remove those numbers from his records, seriously. Take those out of the equation--that way he will probably never touch Hank Aaron's record--yes Hank Aaron's record that is not Barry Bonds' record, and we may be voting on his HOF eligibility based on his "pure" numbers. ESPN and SI will get off on analyzing this interview for weeks, or until another of the 103 remaining names pops up, but for now, I may be siding on the side of trust. That doesn't mean I respect A-Rod, but I don't think I will be falling into the realm of those always distrustful of his numbers for the next 9 years of his career, but we'll see...honesty is always subjective.
Friday, February 6, 2009
An Open Letter to Joe Dumars
Dear Joe-D,
Welcome to the end of your streak. No no I'm not just talking about the longest running streak in NBA history of consecutive sell-outs (259) which you kissed good-bye on Wednesday night, I'm talking about your streak as one of the smartest VP's of basketball operations in the game, and running one of the elite teams of the Eastern Conference. Congratulations of plowing your team--your heart and soul--this city's heart and soul--into the mire of mediocrity. Now I'll grant you this probably has something to do with the economic slump, but let's face it Detroit's been in a recession for the past 2 years--and you kept selling out, so don't let yourself sleep any better telling yourself that the Palace has finally fallen victim to the economy. Could it possibly be the fact that Pistons' fans have finally had enough? That after watching this "team"--a word I use lightly--collapse at the feet of the Celtics and Cavaliers (a game that should've been won by the way) that those last 363 tickets couldn't get sold, because fans looked at the schedule saw the Heat on Wedneseday night and predicted a loss? When fans--ok when I--am terrified to check the scores in the morning for fear of seeing the loss..now I will grant you they won on Wednesday night and reclaimed the number 5 spot in the East..number 5..not much to be proud of there Joe, not when we've been in the top 3 (top 2 actually for 6 years). Could it be that fans have gotten sick of watching Allen "the Wrong Answer" Iverson take shit shots from the baseline after dribbling way too much and hogging the ball? Have you taken notice that all these teams in the East that are now ahead of you have gotten younger not older? That they have a solid team concept? I like any good Pistons fan hate the Celtics, however you can't deny their team solidarity and work ethic. The brought in superstars and got the team to buy into it. You have failed to do this and why is that? Because you killed a solid team concept. We had it, we had a backcourt of two of the best players in the league who not only were best friends, but brought out the best in each other, and now one's in Denver and the other is riding the cushy chairs of the bench. The Palace may not be selling out, but you and your team concept did. Don't give me the excuses of giving Rodney Stuckey more minutes, because clearly you have enough minutes in a game to get Rip all his time, so doesn't it stand to reason that Stuck could come off the bench and develop. Plus, you want Stuck to be a first-rate point guard. Do you want him to learn from A.I--a glorified ball hog, who has only ever been out for his own numbers, and has never won a championship along with a shit reputation as a pain in the league? Or do you want him learning from Chauncey--a former NBA finals MVP, who never cared about his own numbers, but was more concerned with making sure Rip got the ball and carried the team by example of unselfish play? Look at the teams kicking your ass..Celtics--Rajon Rondo, not a big name, gets he key guys their numbers, Cavaliers--Daniel "Boobie" Gibson, does enough to contribute and be an asset alongside Lebron, Magic--Jameer Nelson, well up until this week until his season ending injury, supported D-Howard and Rashard Lewis. All 3 carrying a strong team concept--without an all-star point guard. If the whole point of the trade was to get Stuck more minutes, fine, BUT you did NOT get Allen Iverson to replace Rip Hamilton, but that's what you've done. Sure you can feed fans this B.S about following the example of Manu Ginobli and Jason Terry, but the entire team buys in. You're trying to have Rip split minutes, with the most selfish player in the NBA right now. Rip might buy in, but AI doesn't, as displayed by his utter refusal to come off the bench. A player there to win and help out would come off the bench and he refuses. Congratulations Joe Dumars, you've killed this team, and the numbers (both attendance and wins) show it. What would you have done if your VP of BBall Ops would've traded Isaiah Thomas? Would you have rolled over and took it? Probably not. Welcome to mediocrity Detroit. 5th in the East is not a mark of pride. The day we have seen the Atlanta Hawks rise above us, the Palace deserves to have a few empty seats. Economics or not, this city has finally sent a message, they're tired of watching a team break their hearts.
Welcome to the end of your streak. No no I'm not just talking about the longest running streak in NBA history of consecutive sell-outs (259) which you kissed good-bye on Wednesday night, I'm talking about your streak as one of the smartest VP's of basketball operations in the game, and running one of the elite teams of the Eastern Conference. Congratulations of plowing your team--your heart and soul--this city's heart and soul--into the mire of mediocrity. Now I'll grant you this probably has something to do with the economic slump, but let's face it Detroit's been in a recession for the past 2 years--and you kept selling out, so don't let yourself sleep any better telling yourself that the Palace has finally fallen victim to the economy. Could it possibly be the fact that Pistons' fans have finally had enough? That after watching this "team"--a word I use lightly--collapse at the feet of the Celtics and Cavaliers (a game that should've been won by the way) that those last 363 tickets couldn't get sold, because fans looked at the schedule saw the Heat on Wedneseday night and predicted a loss? When fans--ok when I--am terrified to check the scores in the morning for fear of seeing the loss..now I will grant you they won on Wednesday night and reclaimed the number 5 spot in the East..number 5..not much to be proud of there Joe, not when we've been in the top 3 (top 2 actually for 6 years). Could it be that fans have gotten sick of watching Allen "the Wrong Answer" Iverson take shit shots from the baseline after dribbling way too much and hogging the ball? Have you taken notice that all these teams in the East that are now ahead of you have gotten younger not older? That they have a solid team concept? I like any good Pistons fan hate the Celtics, however you can't deny their team solidarity and work ethic. The brought in superstars and got the team to buy into it. You have failed to do this and why is that? Because you killed a solid team concept. We had it, we had a backcourt of two of the best players in the league who not only were best friends, but brought out the best in each other, and now one's in Denver and the other is riding the cushy chairs of the bench. The Palace may not be selling out, but you and your team concept did. Don't give me the excuses of giving Rodney Stuckey more minutes, because clearly you have enough minutes in a game to get Rip all his time, so doesn't it stand to reason that Stuck could come off the bench and develop. Plus, you want Stuck to be a first-rate point guard. Do you want him to learn from A.I--a glorified ball hog, who has only ever been out for his own numbers, and has never won a championship along with a shit reputation as a pain in the league? Or do you want him learning from Chauncey--a former NBA finals MVP, who never cared about his own numbers, but was more concerned with making sure Rip got the ball and carried the team by example of unselfish play? Look at the teams kicking your ass..Celtics--Rajon Rondo, not a big name, gets he key guys their numbers, Cavaliers--Daniel "Boobie" Gibson, does enough to contribute and be an asset alongside Lebron, Magic--Jameer Nelson, well up until this week until his season ending injury, supported D-Howard and Rashard Lewis. All 3 carrying a strong team concept--without an all-star point guard. If the whole point of the trade was to get Stuck more minutes, fine, BUT you did NOT get Allen Iverson to replace Rip Hamilton, but that's what you've done. Sure you can feed fans this B.S about following the example of Manu Ginobli and Jason Terry, but the entire team buys in. You're trying to have Rip split minutes, with the most selfish player in the NBA right now. Rip might buy in, but AI doesn't, as displayed by his utter refusal to come off the bench. A player there to win and help out would come off the bench and he refuses. Congratulations Joe Dumars, you've killed this team, and the numbers (both attendance and wins) show it. What would you have done if your VP of BBall Ops would've traded Isaiah Thomas? Would you have rolled over and took it? Probably not. Welcome to mediocrity Detroit. 5th in the East is not a mark of pride. The day we have seen the Atlanta Hawks rise above us, the Palace deserves to have a few empty seats. Economics or not, this city has finally sent a message, they're tired of watching a team break their hearts.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Indulgent Nonsense
Thank you Simon Cowell (and Michael Slezak for reminding me of this quote) for the giving me the perfect to phrase for today.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-pope-holocaust-04-feb04,0,5822611.story
Christianity struggles enough with attempting to remain relevant in an increasing post-modern, scientific, need for "truth" society without this type of blatent nonsense bring the entire religion down around us. Now granted, I am not Catholic--but some of my best friends, plus my boyfriend and thus future in-laws are--and when something like this happens it is utterly necessary that the entire Christian world responds. How does it look when probably the single most noticeable figure in Christianity not only embraces, but endorses this type of appointment. Do we really want to be the ones who welcome back into the fold Holocaust deniers?? When we--especially Lutherans--are still fighting to break free from a millenia of anti-Semitism supported by the Christian world. Now granted..I am especially sensitive to this issue given my background in Holocaust studies and the fact that those classes pretty much changed my life, but still shouldn't the entire world--the Pope himself--be outraged about this? On top of which can anyone explain to me how one can deny the Holocaust? I love myself a good conspiracy theory, but I'm sorry, are we really going to go so far as to say that Auschwitz exists but wasn't a concentration camp? Was Zycon-B just some German fad not used to kill thousands of people? Are all of these memoirists and survivors lying? No RATIONAL, SANE person can call this a cover up, and if they'd like to, I refer them to Primo Levi's "The Drowned and the Saved," it just might enlighten them.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-pope-holocaust-04-feb04,0,5822611.story
Christianity struggles enough with attempting to remain relevant in an increasing post-modern, scientific, need for "truth" society without this type of blatent nonsense bring the entire religion down around us. Now granted, I am not Catholic--but some of my best friends, plus my boyfriend and thus future in-laws are--and when something like this happens it is utterly necessary that the entire Christian world responds. How does it look when probably the single most noticeable figure in Christianity not only embraces, but endorses this type of appointment. Do we really want to be the ones who welcome back into the fold Holocaust deniers?? When we--especially Lutherans--are still fighting to break free from a millenia of anti-Semitism supported by the Christian world. Now granted..I am especially sensitive to this issue given my background in Holocaust studies and the fact that those classes pretty much changed my life, but still shouldn't the entire world--the Pope himself--be outraged about this? On top of which can anyone explain to me how one can deny the Holocaust? I love myself a good conspiracy theory, but I'm sorry, are we really going to go so far as to say that Auschwitz exists but wasn't a concentration camp? Was Zycon-B just some German fad not used to kill thousands of people? Are all of these memoirists and survivors lying? No RATIONAL, SANE person can call this a cover up, and if they'd like to, I refer them to Primo Levi's "The Drowned and the Saved," it just might enlighten them.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
American Idol plays House in Tehran
My Tuesday nights for the rest of the semester are pretty much going to be characterized by watching my DVR-ed American Idol and going to be..9 hours of class'll do that to a person. I don't know what to do with Idol this season--what happens when you've watched a show for an hour only to have it be over and you don't feel like anything happened. 147 contestants and only 43 were let go..on top of the fact that we only saw snippets of maybe 30 auditions. Does anyone else find it odd and slightly off-putting that they refer to Jeremy/Michael whatever the hell his name is as the "Oil Rig Roughneck?" Nothing like saying this guy's blue collar and we have to emphasize it, since he doesn't fit our categorical norm of twenty year old, poster children for attractive America. And I find myself disgusted by the fact that this show puts up a front of wanting to find talent, then rewards shameless, self-promotion through sex appeal by letting bikini girl continue to be on this show?! Ok maybe she has the slight ability to sing, but I'm sorry I guarantee that every single person that auditions would sound better with music, but for some reason that excuse works for her?? If anyone else would've said that to Simon, he would have said "this is an audition, if you're only talented with music, than this competition isn't for you."
If anyone else watches House, did they think tonight had an underlying theme of atonement and punishment? Foreman feeling like he has to do something about his "sins" and that 13 was bearing the brunt of his error. There was just a little too much of a theological strain behind the entire storyline, and I'm sorry but when you've been dating someone for 2 weeks--someone you practically had to coerce into dating you--you don't put your entire career on the line for her. And paging the hair stylist on this show..Lisa Edelstein is gorgeous, why screw it up with Farrah bangs and hair that belongs in 1970?
So I've always read..since I was little I can remember reading..it's just what I do. I've finally started reading "Reading Lolita in Tehran"--a book I've been wanting to read for ages, and while it's taking forever to read it's proving well worth it. There's a depth that is hard to rattle off twenty pages without thinking, but some of what I read today got me thinking about how fiction affects our lives. We impose our reality upon what we're reading..trying to find relevance for our current context. 10 people can be reading the same book, but if they're at different places in their lives, it's going to be perceived differently by each of them. We read fiction to escape..yet we read fiction to find answers, to find connection, to find out if this author has figured out the answer to the questions we've been asking ourselves everyday. That's what these women/girls are doing. They're looking into Lolita's trapped world and imposing their reality in Iran upon the story. They see in her, they're own reality of having their identities stripped away, being made to conform to their captors impressions of how they should be, while all the while wanting to wear their yellow shirts and nail polish. We talked about the kind of same thing in systematics this afternoon. We impose our context upon scripture and religion in order to find meaning..but when we do that from an individual standpoint, don't we just end up having 10,000 different interpretations with no truth...when really that's the one thing we're all searching for when we turn to our scripture?
If anyone else watches House, did they think tonight had an underlying theme of atonement and punishment? Foreman feeling like he has to do something about his "sins" and that 13 was bearing the brunt of his error. There was just a little too much of a theological strain behind the entire storyline, and I'm sorry but when you've been dating someone for 2 weeks--someone you practically had to coerce into dating you--you don't put your entire career on the line for her. And paging the hair stylist on this show..Lisa Edelstein is gorgeous, why screw it up with Farrah bangs and hair that belongs in 1970?
So I've always read..since I was little I can remember reading..it's just what I do. I've finally started reading "Reading Lolita in Tehran"--a book I've been wanting to read for ages, and while it's taking forever to read it's proving well worth it. There's a depth that is hard to rattle off twenty pages without thinking, but some of what I read today got me thinking about how fiction affects our lives. We impose our reality upon what we're reading..trying to find relevance for our current context. 10 people can be reading the same book, but if they're at different places in their lives, it's going to be perceived differently by each of them. We read fiction to escape..yet we read fiction to find answers, to find connection, to find out if this author has figured out the answer to the questions we've been asking ourselves everyday. That's what these women/girls are doing. They're looking into Lolita's trapped world and imposing their reality in Iran upon the story. They see in her, they're own reality of having their identities stripped away, being made to conform to their captors impressions of how they should be, while all the while wanting to wear their yellow shirts and nail polish. We talked about the kind of same thing in systematics this afternoon. We impose our context upon scripture and religion in order to find meaning..but when we do that from an individual standpoint, don't we just end up having 10,000 different interpretations with no truth...when really that's the one thing we're all searching for when we turn to our scripture?
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