Cathedral

I thoroughly enjoyed the story "Cathedral" by Raymond Carver. It had a very different feel to it and it kept me interested throughout the entire story.

This story was interesting in the fact that I did not fully understand why the husband disliked or thought negatively about the blind friend. Was it because he felt like he was threat to he and his wifes relationship? or was it because his wife has such a deep friendship/relationship with this man? It was like he hated him before he even met him. He took no time to get to know him. Instead of viewing this as a time to get to know one of his wife's friends, he was bitter and negative. I feel as though if I was the husband and my wife's friend was coming, I would try to be as welcoming and joyful as possible because this man obviously means something to her. I would definitely be trying to get a feel of what this guy was all about but I would not allow tension to constantly engulf the atmosphere.

I thought it was slightly comical how the wife left them all alone for a long amount time. Were there motives behind her staying away for so long? Or was she just really taking that long to get ready for bed? I think that the answer to that question is yes, she probably purposefully stayed away that long. Why not leave them down there alone...maybe they will begin talking about something and find some common interests. You know, get to know each other. I think that is a pretty brilliant move on her behalf. moments like that are always awkward but it makes you make an effort and step out of your comfort zone and really engage in conversation.

It was cool to see the husbands guard come down as he and the blind man began to talk and interact. It climaxed when they began to discuss the thought and look of the cathedral. This scene was moving (weird statement, I know, but it kind of tugged on my emotions). I feel as though there was a reason for the blind man doing what he did with the drawing. It was not just to "see" what a cathedral looked like, he was teaching the husband a lesson of some sort. perhaps Robert (the blind man) was showing the husband how he sees things in life? but it is truly a mystery to me!

I watched To Kill A Mockingbird. I have never seen this movie before!

Special Post 2

A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings: A Tale for Children is a very interesting story about a family-Pelayo, Elisenda, and their child- who one evening, after a long rainstorm and a struggle with the many unwanted crabs, find a old man "angel" stuck in the mud outside of their house. They did not know if he was good or bad so they just put him outside in the chicken coop with the animals. Pelayo and Elisenda’s child was sick in bed, almost to the point of death, but due to this mysterious angel-man, the next morning the child was all better. News of this miracle spread throughout town and before they knew it, they had people from all over the place coming to see the angel to receive healings of all sorts. Elisenda came to the conclusion that they were going to begin to charge each person five cents to see the old man. As time went on, they get rich; so much so that all of the rooms in their house were filled with money. After an unknown amount of time, the people began to lose interest in the angel-man and shifted their attention and money to the spider-woman. She was not only interesting to look at but she allowed people to ask her questions. She told the story of how by being disobedient to here parents, she was turned into a spider. Despite the way she looked, her story had a moral to it. Elisenda and Pelayo did well for themselves with all of the money they had earned...they built a new house and got a whole new wardrobe. The only thing left unfixed was the chicken coop with the angel in it. Eventually after a while, the chicken coop collapsed and the angel just sort of went around. He would randomly appear in the different rooms of the house. Pelayo and Elisenda were really worried that he was going to die but after surviving winter, the angels health began to improve. One day, Elisenda watched as he flew off into the distance. She felt relief for both herself and him.

When you first read A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings: A Tale for Children you really have no idea what is going on. You know that you just read a story about and old man/angel/demon who is sick and who fell into this couples life, but you are left with a whole lot questions. Why is this “A Tale for Children” part of the title? What is the point of having the crabs in this story? Who and what is this old man angel-like thing? What happened to him? Why is he so weak? Is this whole story a dream or reality? A lot of the story is almost left unanswered. The audience will never know if the angel-man was a angel or a demon. We have no idea where he came from or why he looked so beat up and awful. It remains a mystery. The central theme of this story is the ambiguity of it all. As I stated above, the reader does not give any answers. Many issues go unresolved and we are left to fill in the blank ourselves. We are given the power to draw the conclusions as to who the old man is and what is real or make believe. Many would even say that what makes this story so great is fact that it allows you to make sense of the story in your own way. In real life, we are not given the answers to all of life’s questions, and I feel as though that is true for this story as well.

The main interpretations that I take away from this story is how shallow people in this world can be. Pelayo and Elisenda only kept the angel man to get money. They treated him poorly and kept him tied up outside like a criminal. All of the people came to see him not only for his wings but to GET something from him. Instead of taking this opportunity to love on someone who was lost and hurting, they used him to make a little cash. I understand that they did not know him or what he was capable of, but they could have at least made the situation a little bit more bearable for him.

This story was an eye opener to what culture is really like today. We are so worried about how we can get ahead that we neglect to see the other people who are hurting and in need around us. Instead of viewing the angel man or the “dorky” person as an annoyance, we should view their presence as an opportunity to share the love of Christ with them…to speak life into them. This story really challenges me to not see people for what they can do for me but what I can do for them as well. It really encourages its readers to be selfless. Matthew 9:35 states that if one so desires to be the first, then he must last and a servant to all. Money is nice but it is temporary. Loving on someone is priceless.

T.B.N.D and Dr. Fettke

A few of my classmates and I went to the Theatre of Winter Haven to see The Boys Next Door. I thought that it was good. I am not sure I would have ever paid the full $20 dollars to see it but I went opening night so it was only $10 so I feel much better about that! I really disliked the guy who played Jack. He did not portray the character very well, but besides that the rest of the characters were good. My favorite character and actor was the guy who played Lucien. He was brilliant. My favorite part of the play was Lucien's monologue. It was powerful and impacting. The actor really pulled me into the play at that point. I could feel what he was feeling and what he was saying. It was legit. So overall, despite the price,The Boys Next Door was a good field trip and a worthwhile experience.

The Spirit of God Hovered Over the Waters: Creation, the local Church, and the Mentally and Physically Challenged, A Call to Spirit-led Ministry by: Dr. Fettke was really good. I enjoyed reading it. It really brought up some interesting, convicting points. The church of God is clearly not being what God has called us to be...and that is sad. The first thing that popped out to me was when Fettke stated, "I would like to propose defining 'normal' as simply being created in God's image." What a bold and interesting statement. No matter how normal or abnormal one may seem, when it comes down to it, we all are created in the imago dei. These impairments are not always negative, they make up who the person is. Despite whatever issues one person may have, they are loved by God. "Nothing can separate us from the love of God." Romans 8:38-39.

The Boys Next Door

I found The Boys Next Door to be very entertaining. It is interesting to read a play that is centered around mentally handicapped people. I really enjoy getting inside their minds...and hearing how they go about their days. It is sad to see how they are taken advantage of. I cannot imagine doing such things to a mentally handicapped person. I did find it to be a little difficult to read on my own though. It was definitely easier to get through reading it aloud or should I say acting it out. It was hard for me to read because it jumps around a lot.

Professor Corrigan gave us some notes on The Boys Next Door. I really liked how he stated that he did not have answers but he could engage in questions with himself. I am a little uncomfortable with the whole statement that it is okay to laugh at the crazy things that mentally handicapped people do...I mean, I am definitely guilty of doing that but I almost feel bad doing it. I constantly laugh at myself and the stupid, silly things I do so I guess if it was something that I would laugh at myself doing it is okay. I completely agree with Corrigan when he stated that people with mental disabilities are like children. It is so true. If you just sit back and watch a child then watch someone with a mental disability they are very similar. It is kind of sweet.

Although this story is not only about the awareness of handicapped people, I feel as though that is one of the most profound things I have grasped from this play. They are real people with real feelings and they have a purpose and a plan for their lives just as much as "normal" people do. Corrigan stated, "People with mental disabilities need our help. But we need their help just as much." They truly do have something to offer. If we would take the time to get to know the mentally handicapped, I feel as though our lives would be greatly enriched.

poem

Oh how the times have changed

The sky that once was

As blue as the ocean

Has now turned into darkness.

The floors that breathed

With green life have faded...

Faded into what seems

Like eternal darkness.

Isn't it sad how the times have changed.

Fire consumes

Darkness invades

Oh how I long

For the light to shine.

When all hope seems lost

A ray light breaks through.

It is not the completion of restoration

But it is the beginning.

No matter what happens

I remember the light.

I will not lose hope.

Polk Museum of Art

"I went to the Polk Museum of Art for this assignment, and I stayed there for at least 40 minutes."

I thoroughly enjoyed going to the Polk Museum of Art. It was much smaller than I had expected it to be but it was still awesome none the less. It was really fascinating looking at all of the different kind of art displayed there; e.g. pastels, oil on canvas, pottery, mixed medium, etc. My amazement began in the section with all of the old pieces found in central and south america. There were some very unique and really old pieces there; each characterizing the country they were from. Some pieces were of women and children, gods that the people worshiped, and other odds and ends found during different excavations. Although the clay sculptures were interesting, it was not my favorite part of the museum. I am more drawn to the paintings...which leads me to the next room which was full of all different kinds of the artwork from high school kids in the area. I was very impressed. It was awesome to see the creativeness shown in these pieces. Each artist had their own voice and style. It was incredible to see the talent that is in the youth of today. I spent most of my time carefully observing each piece in this section. It really made me miss art. All throughout elementary, middle school and high school I took art classes. I loved getting to create and amaze myself with different art pieces. Right outside of this room was paintings and other artwork done by adults. They were incredible. The patience, time and creativity put in each of the creations was mouth dropping. The artwork truly amazed me. I would have to say that my favorite section was upstairs. There was a hallway full of pictures of different families from all over the world...and all of their belongings were outside of their house. Next to the pictures was a list of things such as country, number of inhabitants, size of house, annual income, and something that they wish for in the future. Reading the different lists really made me sad. It made me appreciate all that I have.