The chapter on character in our textbook covered so much information in few pages. I already know a bit of what character is about, but something I think that's important to understand is that a person can have all the good charisma in the world, but unless a person has the character to back that charisma up, ya got peanuts!
I read the story/poem inside of this chapter and found them a bit confusing. I did however grasp that when diving deeper into a character, for example, like Batman, you have to begin to ask the "why?" not the "what?". When we talk about characters in our everyday lives we think about their mannerisms. We think about what they say, but do we think about why they act that certain way or say those words? Pin pointing exactly what a character is supposed to be like is not the answer. I think that a story with a character that is "outside of the box" leaves more mystery, whereas a character that is "plain or dull" may just not have anything to provide to the overall picture that is the story. What I do think is important is to find out why they act that way and understand the composition of the person rather than the surface of what they are presenting.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Lectio Divina
Today was a bad day. So far, this semester has not been extremely pleasant. I'm growing. I'm being stretched. I feel the exact same way about literature. Sometimes we don't want to read certain stories because they are boring, or we might find them to be too complex and over our heads, but the truth is...no words are ever wasted in literature--at least that's what I think. I feel that sometimes the things I don't want to read, or the things I don't want to participate in are the stories/activities that are going to help me grow the most.
So with that said, today before class I was outside just listening to some music and just taking in nature. I was silent. At times I wanted to cry, because of a certain family situation I'm going through, but then other times I was so thankful for what was around me. So, I get up off of the bench and head to class. I sat there for a good twenty minutes in the classroom before anyone else got there and just thought about what Professor Corrigan might have us do for that lesson.
I enjoy this class immensely. I thought the idea to do a Lectio Divina was a superb choice for today. I felt like God knew that I needed that, and maybe for some of my peers...they needed to do that today too. So I just would like to take the opportunity to thank Professor Corrigan for doing this activity today in class.
I really got into what we were reading. Sonny's Blues had been mentioned before in some of my lit classes in high school, but we never went this in depth with it. I feel a DEEP relationship with Sonny. When the story read somewhat to the effect of that the relationship between a musician's instrument and the musician must be torment, I completely understood. I was a musician for TEN years. I miss it everyday. I played flute/piccolo. The way things have lined up in my life, being a musician in college just...wasn't a thought. I was ridiculed in high school for knowing out to play too well, so I purposely started playing badly. Then I found myself behind because I just didn't care anymore. People ripped the passion that I had for music out of my heart. I figured that the passion I had for my music and playing would fade, but it hasn't it's just taken on a different form.
I suppose the new form of my passion is literature. I didn't initially chose to be an English major. Sometimes, I think it choose me. Doing the Lectio Divina today in class makes me even more sure of my major and what I want to pursue. Such emotion built up from me in this story because I could look at it as a mirror of myself rather than a window. Yes, I could see into the story...but I live it almost everyday. I lie in wait, to tell my story.
So with that said, today before class I was outside just listening to some music and just taking in nature. I was silent. At times I wanted to cry, because of a certain family situation I'm going through, but then other times I was so thankful for what was around me. So, I get up off of the bench and head to class. I sat there for a good twenty minutes in the classroom before anyone else got there and just thought about what Professor Corrigan might have us do for that lesson.
I enjoy this class immensely. I thought the idea to do a Lectio Divina was a superb choice for today. I felt like God knew that I needed that, and maybe for some of my peers...they needed to do that today too. So I just would like to take the opportunity to thank Professor Corrigan for doing this activity today in class.
I really got into what we were reading. Sonny's Blues had been mentioned before in some of my lit classes in high school, but we never went this in depth with it. I feel a DEEP relationship with Sonny. When the story read somewhat to the effect of that the relationship between a musician's instrument and the musician must be torment, I completely understood. I was a musician for TEN years. I miss it everyday. I played flute/piccolo. The way things have lined up in my life, being a musician in college just...wasn't a thought. I was ridiculed in high school for knowing out to play too well, so I purposely started playing badly. Then I found myself behind because I just didn't care anymore. People ripped the passion that I had for music out of my heart. I figured that the passion I had for my music and playing would fade, but it hasn't it's just taken on a different form.
I suppose the new form of my passion is literature. I didn't initially chose to be an English major. Sometimes, I think it choose me. Doing the Lectio Divina today in class makes me even more sure of my major and what I want to pursue. Such emotion built up from me in this story because I could look at it as a mirror of myself rather than a window. Yes, I could see into the story...but I live it almost everyday. I lie in wait, to tell my story.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
The Vine of Knowledge
Our lesson today involved painting a verse from the book of Joel. It was a literary experience that I probably will never forget. Getting the chance to experience things in different ways (in the classroom) is new to me. Some of the most foreign aspects of education aren't really foreign at all. I remember doing some of this stuff in elementry/middle school. Sometimes I feel like it's good to go back to the basics to relearn what we've lost in the complexities of life.The book of Joel was brought to life today, for me at least. My painting has to do with the last versus of Joel. I decided to focus on what God gave the people back after they started to follow what He had set for them all along. My vine of grapes comes from "above" as does the water, to symbolize that a "higher" power is giving the people what they need to sustain life.
I suppose my painting isn't that deep. I tried my best and even that can be hard to see sometimes. I feel that paintings should be left up for a individual expression, but it should still be able to speak to any type of person despite culture, religion, or age.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
The Book of Joel
(This blog post is for the "blog homework" due for Sept. 24th. The original Joel blog was not done in time. The "pass" for that assignment was accidentally posted after this blog.)
I felt like when I read this book that it didn't speak to me all that much. I didn't think it really related to my life at all right now. Sometimes it's hard to talk about not being sure where God is or being angry with God, but it is talked about in Joel. I wasn't too keen on the lake idea today. I did have to warm up to it. Once I realized why we were out there, I clicked into it and got something more from the context rather than just "reading through it".
I choose to stand out by the lake. I really didn't feel compelled to sit by the lake. I didn't want to be equal with the lake. I didn't really even want to look at it. Once I started reading some of Joel along with looking outward at nature, I saw openness. I realized that I could breathe. It was ok to not be stressed out. Once I opened up and accepted that I was able to read the text, full in its meaning. It wasn't until I got over my own feelings that I could actually listen to what God wanted to tell me through this text.
The part I choose to reflect on dealt with was:
Now return to the LORD your God,
For He is gracious and compassionate,
Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness
And relenting of evil.
Weep between the porch and the altar,
And let them say, "Spare Your people, O LORD,
And do not make Your inheritance a reproach,
A byword among the peoples say,
'Where is their God'"?
The first verse speaks of how open God is. How apparent it is that He resides within us, yet the whole thing ends with "Where is their God?" That just amazes me. It's almost backwards. One minute we realize that God is amazing and loving, then the next thing we know we turn our backs and go, Where are you God? How can we do that?! This scenerio reminds me of when as kids when we'd play hide and seek and we'd turn out the lights and hide. How can you find anyone in the dark if you turn their back to you? It's impossible, unless you speak out. Joel is all about speaking things into action in order for things to get better.
I felt like when I read this book that it didn't speak to me all that much. I didn't think it really related to my life at all right now. Sometimes it's hard to talk about not being sure where God is or being angry with God, but it is talked about in Joel. I wasn't too keen on the lake idea today. I did have to warm up to it. Once I realized why we were out there, I clicked into it and got something more from the context rather than just "reading through it".
I choose to stand out by the lake. I really didn't feel compelled to sit by the lake. I didn't want to be equal with the lake. I didn't really even want to look at it. Once I started reading some of Joel along with looking outward at nature, I saw openness. I realized that I could breathe. It was ok to not be stressed out. Once I opened up and accepted that I was able to read the text, full in its meaning. It wasn't until I got over my own feelings that I could actually listen to what God wanted to tell me through this text.
The part I choose to reflect on dealt with was:
Now return to the LORD your God,
For He is gracious and compassionate,
Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness
And relenting of evil.
Weep between the porch and the altar,
And let them say, "Spare Your people, O LORD,
And do not make Your inheritance a reproach,
A byword among the peoples say,
'Where is their God'"?
The first verse speaks of how open God is. How apparent it is that He resides within us, yet the whole thing ends with "Where is their God?" That just amazes me. It's almost backwards. One minute we realize that God is amazing and loving, then the next thing we know we turn our backs and go, Where are you God? How can we do that?! This scenerio reminds me of when as kids when we'd play hide and seek and we'd turn out the lights and hide. How can you find anyone in the dark if you turn their back to you? It's impossible, unless you speak out. Joel is all about speaking things into action in order for things to get better.
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