My friends and I saw the new Star Wars film, The Force Awakens, opening day, opening show. And you know what? I was very disappointed! After all the hype, it just didn't deliver the way it should have. Here's why:
First of all, a little background for those who don't know: there is (or, in light of this film, was) a consistent timeline for the Star Wars saga. The films gave rise to a galaxy of books about the Star Wars characters, and the history of their worlds. It's called The Expanded Universe. Within the context of TEU, there is both a consistent history and an applied continuity for the characters, planets, people, and even the multitudes of species. The chronology has been consistent, and all the movies, books, and even cartoons have abided by it. But no longer. The Force Awakens movie doesn't conform to this canon at all. Director J. J. Abrams has thrown the entire timeline into the toilet and announced that he will not abide by it at all!
The Expanded Universe has a plethora of terrific characters and terrifying weapons that Abrams could have tapped for his film, and for the life of me, I cannot figure out why he didn't want to use them. There was Mara Jade, an imperial assassin who reformed and became the wife of Luke Skywalker. Or how about grand Admiral Thrawn, an Empire officer who was a tactical genius and made Grand Moff Tarkin look like a schoolyard bully by comparison. The Ssi-Ruv aliens whose technology sucked the souls from people and used them to power their spacecraft. The Sun Crusher, a tiny spacecraft which caused stars to explode. The Galaxy Gun, an artillery piece which could hit a target parsecs distant. The list goes on and on, and yet Abrams rejected all of this.
Then there's the fact that the Force Awakens movie posed more questions than it answered. Why do Rey and Fin have neither family nor friends? How could both of them wield a lightsaber with no training? If Fin was assigned to sanitation duty, how could he possibly know the planetary weapon's weak spot? If the weapon's force-beam travels through hyperspace, how could it have been visible in another planet's atmosphere? Why do the Stormtroopers have different armor? Why aren't the stormtroopers clones? Why did Luke Skywalker fail to train other Jedi Knights like himself (in the books he did so, successfully)? Why does Kylo Ren not resemble his parents at all? If the New Republic usurped the Empire, why is there a separate force called the Resistance; shouldn't the X-Wings be part of the New Republic Fleet? None of this makes any sense at all!
It just staggers me that such talented people like J.J. Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan could take on the Star Wars franchise and produce a film of such utter claptrap. Within the context of the Expanded Universe they had over twenty-five thousand (25,000!) years of history and continuity with which to make something good, and they threw it all away. The Force Awakens is ersatz junk.
To any and all Star Wars fans: Save Your Money!
Friday, December 18, 2015
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Art & the Classroom
Today is the last day of an art class that I signed up for back in September. It's been a hell of a ride, for I entered this class with very few expectations because, quite frankly, my drawing skills have never been good. Except for a small amount of cartooning ability, I've never been able to draw much of anything.
This was also my first time in a classroom as a student in nearly three years. After several years as the teacher it was quite an education to be behind a desk again. Each time the instructor did something or demonstrated a skill to a class I kept thinking to myself, 'If it was me, I would have done it differently.' I suppose that's inevitable for any teacher when watching another practitioner of the craft. We all have different styles of running a classroom, and no two teachers are the same, just as no two people are the same.
So what did I learn? Well, I learned that three-dimensional art is a lot harder than I'd first believed. Making the object appear real enough to pluck off the paper is tough, and I've also discovered that creating a straight line on the paper is not always the best thing to do. There are curved lines, vanishing points, foreground, backgrounds, slugh points, and lots of other variables which all converge to make the picture.
I've also learned that the instructor of this class has a lot to learn. Thus far I've caught him ignoring pupils, not giving praise, passing over chatterboxes that I would have silenced, talking to the board instead of the students, giving complicated directions without realizing it, and doing things quickly that should have been given incrementally to help slower students (such as myself). I've also learned that while he is an artist in his own right, he's not very learned in certain areas. I myself prowl through the commercial galleries and have love of surreal, cartoon, and fantasy art. My own computer is chock-full of jpegs of Angus McKie, Stu Sheppard, Rowena, James Warhola, R. Crumb, and Michael Whelan. The instructor knows Frank Frazetta, but not much else.
Still, he and I have had some great conversations about art, and I've enjoyed talking about the subject with him. He was also tickled to have another teacher in his class, and numerous times when he's left the room for one reason or another he has quipped, "Take over for me." So, that's what I've done. When he's out I've moved around the room, praising those who deserve it, or chatting up one student or another. Their reactions have moved from surprise to outright thanks for having been noticed. When the instructor has returned, he seems oblivious to the happy discourse going on in his room.
My own artistic skills have gotten better, and hopefully I'll be able to take what I've learned into my own classes at some near date. However, I'll be doing so on my own terms, not his. But then, I suppose everyone does that. It's the nature of art everywhere.
This was also my first time in a classroom as a student in nearly three years. After several years as the teacher it was quite an education to be behind a desk again. Each time the instructor did something or demonstrated a skill to a class I kept thinking to myself, 'If it was me, I would have done it differently.' I suppose that's inevitable for any teacher when watching another practitioner of the craft. We all have different styles of running a classroom, and no two teachers are the same, just as no two people are the same.
So what did I learn? Well, I learned that three-dimensional art is a lot harder than I'd first believed. Making the object appear real enough to pluck off the paper is tough, and I've also discovered that creating a straight line on the paper is not always the best thing to do. There are curved lines, vanishing points, foreground, backgrounds, slugh points, and lots of other variables which all converge to make the picture.
I've also learned that the instructor of this class has a lot to learn. Thus far I've caught him ignoring pupils, not giving praise, passing over chatterboxes that I would have silenced, talking to the board instead of the students, giving complicated directions without realizing it, and doing things quickly that should have been given incrementally to help slower students (such as myself). I've also learned that while he is an artist in his own right, he's not very learned in certain areas. I myself prowl through the commercial galleries and have love of surreal, cartoon, and fantasy art. My own computer is chock-full of jpegs of Angus McKie, Stu Sheppard, Rowena, James Warhola, R. Crumb, and Michael Whelan. The instructor knows Frank Frazetta, but not much else.
Still, he and I have had some great conversations about art, and I've enjoyed talking about the subject with him. He was also tickled to have another teacher in his class, and numerous times when he's left the room for one reason or another he has quipped, "Take over for me." So, that's what I've done. When he's out I've moved around the room, praising those who deserve it, or chatting up one student or another. Their reactions have moved from surprise to outright thanks for having been noticed. When the instructor has returned, he seems oblivious to the happy discourse going on in his room.
My own artistic skills have gotten better, and hopefully I'll be able to take what I've learned into my own classes at some near date. However, I'll be doing so on my own terms, not his. But then, I suppose everyone does that. It's the nature of art everywhere.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Strengths-Based Leadership
The advantages of Strength-Based Leadership is that it is an empowering system which uses best parts of a person. The leader knows what he/she can and cannot do, and he/she is honest about it. If the leader knows that he/she can run an organization, but lacks computer skills, then he/she admits that from the start and works with someone who can complement them. You work with other people's strengths, and don't harp on their weaknesses.
The biggest killer of any leader or leadership structure is fear. If a subordinate fears to report a problem, then the problem grows larger the more time passes. If a leader fears to tell his/her people about a mistake, then the problem eats away at the leader's conscience and eventually destroys the people's faith in their leader. So the first thing you must do in a Strengths-Based Leadership structure is remove the roots of fear. Make it clear that all problems are to be reported at once, and that it is not a matter of blame. You can even put the fear to rest by offering a bonus or a "pleasant surprise" to people who spot problems or potential hazards. A pizza or a bundle of flowers doesn't cost much, it brightens everyone's day, and it is proof that fear has no place in the leadership structure.
There was a very good poem in George R. R. Martin's book, Game of Thrones, which a fencer used as a mantra to a student. I liked it so much, I copied it, and posted it in my office. If this were to be posted in any school, office, or training center it would empower many people:
"Swift as a deer. Quiet as a shadow. Fear cuts deeper than swords.
Quick as a snake. Calm as still water. Fear cuts deeper than swords.
Strong as a bear. Fierce as a wolverine. Fear cuts deeper than swords.
The man who fears losing has already lost. Fear cuts deeper than swords.
Fear cuts deeper than swords. Fear cuts deeper than swords."
A Strengths-Based Leadership system must use all the positive qualities that people have to offer. One must indeed be swift, quiet, strong, calm, and fierce. Everyone should embody these qualities, and use them for the common good. But, it is easier to be these things when you know that you need not fear.
The biggest killer of any leader or leadership structure is fear. If a subordinate fears to report a problem, then the problem grows larger the more time passes. If a leader fears to tell his/her people about a mistake, then the problem eats away at the leader's conscience and eventually destroys the people's faith in their leader. So the first thing you must do in a Strengths-Based Leadership structure is remove the roots of fear. Make it clear that all problems are to be reported at once, and that it is not a matter of blame. You can even put the fear to rest by offering a bonus or a "pleasant surprise" to people who spot problems or potential hazards. A pizza or a bundle of flowers doesn't cost much, it brightens everyone's day, and it is proof that fear has no place in the leadership structure.
There was a very good poem in George R. R. Martin's book, Game of Thrones, which a fencer used as a mantra to a student. I liked it so much, I copied it, and posted it in my office. If this were to be posted in any school, office, or training center it would empower many people:
"Swift as a deer. Quiet as a shadow. Fear cuts deeper than swords.
Quick as a snake. Calm as still water. Fear cuts deeper than swords.
Strong as a bear. Fierce as a wolverine. Fear cuts deeper than swords.
The man who fears losing has already lost. Fear cuts deeper than swords.
Fear cuts deeper than swords. Fear cuts deeper than swords."
A Strengths-Based Leadership system must use all the positive qualities that people have to offer. One must indeed be swift, quiet, strong, calm, and fierce. Everyone should embody these qualities, and use them for the common good. But, it is easier to be these things when you know that you need not fear.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Teacher Leadership
>>What do I hope to gain from the Teacher Leadership program?
What I hope to gain is a better understanding of what is required as both a teacher and as a leader. To date, my experience in the classroom has been in one of two roles, neither of which allow for much experience as a leader.
First, I have been an ESL teacher in the Far East. In that role, my purpose is to impart the lessons and meaning of language to people who speak a language other than English. For total immersion purposes, the lessons are always in English; those who have lesser abilities either struggle to keep up or are helped along by their friends. I give aid whenever I can. But the students naturally look to me; I do not lead so much as I shepherd. No one questions my position as head of the class, nor is there much give and take; I must be the fount of all wisdom and experience. Unsurprisingly, teaching ESL overseas is an exhausting venue.
Second, my work in classrooms is as a Substitute Teacher. In that role, I am confined to following the lesson plan of the person whom I am subbing for. The rules and the plans for the day are laid out in black and white, and I cannot deviate from that plan. Both the teacher and the school are counting on me to do what I am told and stick to the course provided. Moreover, the students themselves will correct me right away if I don't do things the way their teacher requests. Since I hope to gain the regular teacher's approval (and hopefully return again at their request), I must follow their guideline.
So, I am hoping to learn how to lead properly. It is something that I haven't had much experience with at all.
Lawrence Burdick
lawrenceburdick@hotmail.com
San Francisco Bay Area
What I hope to gain is a better understanding of what is required as both a teacher and as a leader. To date, my experience in the classroom has been in one of two roles, neither of which allow for much experience as a leader.
First, I have been an ESL teacher in the Far East. In that role, my purpose is to impart the lessons and meaning of language to people who speak a language other than English. For total immersion purposes, the lessons are always in English; those who have lesser abilities either struggle to keep up or are helped along by their friends. I give aid whenever I can. But the students naturally look to me; I do not lead so much as I shepherd. No one questions my position as head of the class, nor is there much give and take; I must be the fount of all wisdom and experience. Unsurprisingly, teaching ESL overseas is an exhausting venue.
Second, my work in classrooms is as a Substitute Teacher. In that role, I am confined to following the lesson plan of the person whom I am subbing for. The rules and the plans for the day are laid out in black and white, and I cannot deviate from that plan. Both the teacher and the school are counting on me to do what I am told and stick to the course provided. Moreover, the students themselves will correct me right away if I don't do things the way their teacher requests. Since I hope to gain the regular teacher's approval (and hopefully return again at their request), I must follow their guideline.
So, I am hoping to learn how to lead properly. It is something that I haven't had much experience with at all.
Lawrence Burdick
lawrenceburdick@hotmail.com
San Francisco Bay Area
Sunday, April 15, 2012
The Royal Prison
The Royal Wedding was televised a while back, but I didn't bother to watch it. As an American citizen, of course, I am not obligated to pay homage to the British crown; I own a tuxedo which suits me fine when I want to dress up, and my one attempt at Holy Matrimony ended in divorce. Suffice to say, the royal marriage had nothing to offer me. But beyond the political scope, I felt as though there was something a little bit sad about the marriage of between William and Kate. The velvet-trimmed cage of Buckingham Palace has just claimed another victim, and the royal minders and scheduling agents have another client to plan out a day-to-day existence, from her first press-conference through her family life and clear up to the state funeral procession through the streets of London. It is an existence which will consume her daily life, and there will be no getting away from it.
Next time you see the royals on TV, look closely at them. They present themselves in a stated assembly, with just so much space between them. The idea is that they want to be in the correct formation for a picture; no one can block the view of the others. I don't know, but I suspect that like movie actors, they have their marks taped down on the floor, and everyone has to stand at their appointed place. Each public appearance is carefully choreographed, clear down to how to wave to the crowd. Think about that for a moment. Can you imagine that? Constantly practicing how to wave to a crowd? Who knows how many hours of practice before the wave is satisfactory?
King Edward VIII once said, "What does it take to be a good king? You must be a figurehead, a wooden man! Do nothing to upset the Prime Minister or the Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury! Show yourself to the people! Mind your manners! Go to Church! What sort of modern man wants that sort of life?" He hated the idea of being king, which was why he gave it up and married Mrs. Wallis-Simpson, because he knew that meant he would have to give up the throne.
To the average Joe (or Jack, if you're part of the U.K.), it might seem like the Royals have it easy. After all, they are part of a family that appear to have no material cares in the world. They receive adulation from many (although certainly not all) of their subjects, and they have all the freedom of time they want. But the reality is quite different. As Edward VIII noted, there is the constant pretension; the practiced waves and gestures; people waiting on you hand and foot; being told what is and isn't "proper" behavior; never being able to slip into a pub and get drunk with total strangers. The Royals are always being properly groomed and never getting to wear that favorite old T-shirt or the that ratty old terry-cloth robe because it has either been thrown out by the butler, or been mended by a seamstress so that it is suitably tailored. There are the endless autographs to sign, cutting ribbons at factories, christening ships for the navy, presiding over tea ceremonies, meeting dignitaries, exchanging presents with total strangers, going on tours to places that you'd never want to visit, etc. Life for the royals is an endless costume party at which you are an enforced guest who is never allowed to leave.
And consider this: if your father is a tyrannical brute like King John, then you have no recourse but to take it, giving rise to the infamous "stiff upper lip". Take the cruelty now, and then pass the buck to the next generation. Remember that line in The King's Speech where the king confesses that his own father said, "'I was terrified of my father, and my children will be terrified of me!'" Which traumatized the boy, and gave him a stammer. Real picture of paternal love, don't you think? But what could that little boy do? His oppressor was the King!
Every time I look at a picture of Prince Charles, I try to look past the official face, the carefully presented cardboard cutout, and try to see the real man underneath. Whenever I do, I see someone who is deeply troubled; a man who got stuck playing a part that he felt should have been taken off the stage years before. Charles looks like a guy who longs for a quiet corner of the room with a thick blanket and warm socks. This is a guy who's been wearing Penny Loafers for far too long. He looks tired.
According to legend, almost a thousand years ago, a monarch named Boleslaus II was drafted to be the king of Poland. According to legend, he protested mightily that he did not want the job, and was literally frog-marched to the throne. One day, after a royal hunt, it was discovered that the king had disappeared. After a long search, he was discovered working in the streets as a common porter, hauling loads on his back and living in shabby quarters. The entire royal court begged him to return to the throne, and he answered thusly, "Upon my honor, gentlemen, the load which I quitted is far heavier than the one you see me carry here; the weightiest is but a straw when compared to that world under which I labored. I have slept more in four nights than I have in all my reign. I begin to live and be a king of myself. Elect whom you choose. For me, who am so well, it were madness to return to court."
Sometimes I wonder if Prince Charles doesn't have that same dream: to slip away and live as a commoner. Kate Middleston has always known this life, and no doubt thinks that she will not miss it, but I think she will. For her new father-in-law, Charles, though, it represents a life that he knows nothing about, and epitomizes the one quality that he has never had--the freedom to be left alone.
Next time you see the royals on TV, look closely at them. They present themselves in a stated assembly, with just so much space between them. The idea is that they want to be in the correct formation for a picture; no one can block the view of the others. I don't know, but I suspect that like movie actors, they have their marks taped down on the floor, and everyone has to stand at their appointed place. Each public appearance is carefully choreographed, clear down to how to wave to the crowd. Think about that for a moment. Can you imagine that? Constantly practicing how to wave to a crowd? Who knows how many hours of practice before the wave is satisfactory?
King Edward VIII once said, "What does it take to be a good king? You must be a figurehead, a wooden man! Do nothing to upset the Prime Minister or the Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury! Show yourself to the people! Mind your manners! Go to Church! What sort of modern man wants that sort of life?" He hated the idea of being king, which was why he gave it up and married Mrs. Wallis-Simpson, because he knew that meant he would have to give up the throne.
To the average Joe (or Jack, if you're part of the U.K.), it might seem like the Royals have it easy. After all, they are part of a family that appear to have no material cares in the world. They receive adulation from many (although certainly not all) of their subjects, and they have all the freedom of time they want. But the reality is quite different. As Edward VIII noted, there is the constant pretension; the practiced waves and gestures; people waiting on you hand and foot; being told what is and isn't "proper" behavior; never being able to slip into a pub and get drunk with total strangers. The Royals are always being properly groomed and never getting to wear that favorite old T-shirt or the that ratty old terry-cloth robe because it has either been thrown out by the butler, or been mended by a seamstress so that it is suitably tailored. There are the endless autographs to sign, cutting ribbons at factories, christening ships for the navy, presiding over tea ceremonies, meeting dignitaries, exchanging presents with total strangers, going on tours to places that you'd never want to visit, etc. Life for the royals is an endless costume party at which you are an enforced guest who is never allowed to leave.
And consider this: if your father is a tyrannical brute like King John, then you have no recourse but to take it, giving rise to the infamous "stiff upper lip". Take the cruelty now, and then pass the buck to the next generation. Remember that line in The King's Speech where the king confesses that his own father said, "'I was terrified of my father, and my children will be terrified of me!'" Which traumatized the boy, and gave him a stammer. Real picture of paternal love, don't you think? But what could that little boy do? His oppressor was the King!
Every time I look at a picture of Prince Charles, I try to look past the official face, the carefully presented cardboard cutout, and try to see the real man underneath. Whenever I do, I see someone who is deeply troubled; a man who got stuck playing a part that he felt should have been taken off the stage years before. Charles looks like a guy who longs for a quiet corner of the room with a thick blanket and warm socks. This is a guy who's been wearing Penny Loafers for far too long. He looks tired.
According to legend, almost a thousand years ago, a monarch named Boleslaus II was drafted to be the king of Poland. According to legend, he protested mightily that he did not want the job, and was literally frog-marched to the throne. One day, after a royal hunt, it was discovered that the king had disappeared. After a long search, he was discovered working in the streets as a common porter, hauling loads on his back and living in shabby quarters. The entire royal court begged him to return to the throne, and he answered thusly, "Upon my honor, gentlemen, the load which I quitted is far heavier than the one you see me carry here; the weightiest is but a straw when compared to that world under which I labored. I have slept more in four nights than I have in all my reign. I begin to live and be a king of myself. Elect whom you choose. For me, who am so well, it were madness to return to court."
Sometimes I wonder if Prince Charles doesn't have that same dream: to slip away and live as a commoner. Kate Middleston has always known this life, and no doubt thinks that she will not miss it, but I think she will. For her new father-in-law, Charles, though, it represents a life that he knows nothing about, and epitomizes the one quality that he has never had--the freedom to be left alone.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Waving Back and Looking Forward
Some time ago I was rereading a favorite fantasy novel, "Nobody's Son", by Canadian author, Sean Stewart. Towards the end, I came across a paragraph that made me pause in wonder. In the book, Mark, is saying goodbye to his closest friend, who is returning to his own home to speak to his estranged father. The passage reads thusly: "How much of life is like this?...Is that what being grown up means? Saying goodbye as often as hello? More to wave back to with every step."
It's certainly true that introspection comes with age; as we move into the future, we find ourselves thinking back to decisions made, and the consequences long since weathered. Were they the right ones? Did we make a difference in the lives of others? What has become of those great friends we had in our youth? Have they achieved those dreams and goals decided upon in the heat of our youth? I've asked all of these questions at one time or another, and in some cases have even sought out the answers, which have always surprised me. More often than not, the people whom I thought 'had it all' not only didn't, but arrived at an unhappy end.
But making an end--waving goodbye to someone, or some part of your life--provides closure. It's a chance of finalize your relationship to that person or situation. A word unsaid, or a problem left undone rankles in the soul like a cramped muscle, affecting our lives and eating away at us until we can bear it no longer. Then we must settle the score, or see our lives unhinged by something that can only be settled by attending to it.
But more often than not, we find ourselves waving goodbye to friends and family; some who die, and others who move on to another stage of their life, which takes them away from us. Sometimes we find them again, but most often, we do not. In a loose moment, last month, I found myself wondering about a friend whom I'd not seen in 30 years. The last time I'd seen him, he was dressing for a date, and actually wearing a button-down shirt, which was unusual as I'd only seen him in T-shirts. So, last month, out of curiousity, I Googled his name, and found a picture of him on the staff of a university in Australia. According to the site, he'd received tenure a few years before. His face was heavier than I remembered him, but I recognized him instantly. Father of three, the site said, and I marveled at the changes in his life. We are now strangers, so I silently bade him goodbye, and closed the window.
Stewart's imagery calls to mind a slightly sad person, waving goodbye to his friend, but also to his childhood. In the book, Mark has faced down danger and a threat to his family, and is coming to terms with the fact that the rest of his life will likely be spent doing similar things. It's a very powerful moment in the book, because Mark is coming to terms with the direction of his life, and the likely events that he will encounter on his journey. He realizes that he can no longer take comfort in the stability of his childhood, but must move forwards into adulthood. But the childhood moments and the mistakes that he has made continue to pull at him, and he finds himself looking backwards.
The imagery is familiar, I'm sure, to many people. But there is a competing idea which I'm familiar with, which uses almost the same image, though different words.
Screenwriter J. Michael Straczynski put it this way, "We have to make people lift their eyes back to the horizon, and see the line of ancestors behind us, saying, 'Make my life have meaning.' And to our inheritors before us, saying, 'Create the world we will live in.'...Only by making people understand that can we hope to create a better world for ourselves and our posterity."
So, yes, there is more to wave back to as we get older, and leave our childhood behind. But, perhaps, when we drop our hands, we should turn and look to the horizon, see how best to lay the path that we and our inheritors must tread. The path itself doesn't go anywhere, after all, but we are the ones who must walk it.
It's certainly true that introspection comes with age; as we move into the future, we find ourselves thinking back to decisions made, and the consequences long since weathered. Were they the right ones? Did we make a difference in the lives of others? What has become of those great friends we had in our youth? Have they achieved those dreams and goals decided upon in the heat of our youth? I've asked all of these questions at one time or another, and in some cases have even sought out the answers, which have always surprised me. More often than not, the people whom I thought 'had it all' not only didn't, but arrived at an unhappy end.
But making an end--waving goodbye to someone, or some part of your life--provides closure. It's a chance of finalize your relationship to that person or situation. A word unsaid, or a problem left undone rankles in the soul like a cramped muscle, affecting our lives and eating away at us until we can bear it no longer. Then we must settle the score, or see our lives unhinged by something that can only be settled by attending to it.
But more often than not, we find ourselves waving goodbye to friends and family; some who die, and others who move on to another stage of their life, which takes them away from us. Sometimes we find them again, but most often, we do not. In a loose moment, last month, I found myself wondering about a friend whom I'd not seen in 30 years. The last time I'd seen him, he was dressing for a date, and actually wearing a button-down shirt, which was unusual as I'd only seen him in T-shirts. So, last month, out of curiousity, I Googled his name, and found a picture of him on the staff of a university in Australia. According to the site, he'd received tenure a few years before. His face was heavier than I remembered him, but I recognized him instantly. Father of three, the site said, and I marveled at the changes in his life. We are now strangers, so I silently bade him goodbye, and closed the window.
Stewart's imagery calls to mind a slightly sad person, waving goodbye to his friend, but also to his childhood. In the book, Mark has faced down danger and a threat to his family, and is coming to terms with the fact that the rest of his life will likely be spent doing similar things. It's a very powerful moment in the book, because Mark is coming to terms with the direction of his life, and the likely events that he will encounter on his journey. He realizes that he can no longer take comfort in the stability of his childhood, but must move forwards into adulthood. But the childhood moments and the mistakes that he has made continue to pull at him, and he finds himself looking backwards.
The imagery is familiar, I'm sure, to many people. But there is a competing idea which I'm familiar with, which uses almost the same image, though different words.
Screenwriter J. Michael Straczynski put it this way, "We have to make people lift their eyes back to the horizon, and see the line of ancestors behind us, saying, 'Make my life have meaning.' And to our inheritors before us, saying, 'Create the world we will live in.'...Only by making people understand that can we hope to create a better world for ourselves and our posterity."
So, yes, there is more to wave back to as we get older, and leave our childhood behind. But, perhaps, when we drop our hands, we should turn and look to the horizon, see how best to lay the path that we and our inheritors must tread. The path itself doesn't go anywhere, after all, but we are the ones who must walk it.
Lifestyle Changes
Not long ago I began serious training in physical fitness, and a personal trainer completely reworked my food schedule. I keep a daily “food log” of what I’m eating, and everything is recorded, clear down to how many glasses of water I drink. With such a system of record-keeping in place, it’s damn near impossible to cheat, and after a while, I don’t want to. My mind is constantly aware of how much I’m eating or drinking, and I find myself increasingly conscious about food in general.
After monitoring my diet, and my body’s reaction to particular foods, I now find myself gravitating more and more toward self-preparation. When I attend my university classes, I bring along a lunchbox filled with fruit, baked chicken, rice balls, and slices of cucumber sprinkled with rice-vinegar and sesame seeds. I look around myself and see classmates chowing down double hamburgers dripping grease, or slices of pizza.
After a time, I realized that my trainer had not just instituted a new system of exercise, he had converted me to a new lifestyle: one organized on a principle of personal efficiency. Not just for healthy food, but for healthy living. Through it, I find myself doing things differently, and feeling better for it. Sleep is another change; more of it, and more time for it.
Where before I would think nothing of pulling an all-nighter, or going to an all-night poker party and getting by on four or five hours of sleep, now I hit the sack by nine or ten o’clock. There’s much to be said for getting to bed early, reading a book or listening to something before turning off the lights. With podcasts and DVR’s, there’s no need to stay up late, and what good does it do anyway? By the time the clock reads 10:00 PM, I’m sound asleep. My alarm goes off at 0600, and I flip on the coffee maker on my bedside table, loaded with water and a teabag the night before (coffee gives me heartburn). By the time I’m out of the shower, there’s a full pot of tea waiting for me. Then it’s off to the club for a workout before the day’s work begins.
Stretching, toning, elliptical exercises, cardio, dumbbells, free-weights, stretches, snatches, power-cleans, pushups, rowing, situps, karate, and always water; constant hydration.
By the time my training session ends, I’m feeling supercharged, and ready for the day’s challenges. At lunch I see people hurriedly gulping double espressos or throwing a bran muffin into their gullets before charging off who knows where; constantly looking at their watches, hoping against hope that there is still time to make the deadline. Sure, I’ve got deadlines, but with careful planning ahead, you can get the work done and not feel pressed for time.
As part of my new regimen, I’ve sworn off fast food, and set aside time to make my own meals. Sure, it’s more work, but you get a lot more choices than just three different sizes of fries. Even as I write these words, I’m taking careful bites of a green salad with chunks grilled beef, covered with oil & vinegar dressing. I’ll complement this with a Fuji apple and a couple of carrots and a handful of blueberries for dessert. I feel great; it’s too bad not everyone else does.
Every day around lunchtime I see the same 20-something with a slice of pizza in his mouth, and every day he looks a little heavier, his face a little more unshaven, the skin on his cheeks a little more slack, the eyes a little more glassy. I think he’s living on caffeine and pizza with extra cheese; as a diet, not good.
According to a recent report, the PB&C milkshake contains 2,010 calories, and is equivalent to eating 68 strips of bacon, or 30 chocolate chip cookies in one sitting. www.msnbc.msn.com/id/374036...nutrition/
I’m still trying to wrap my head around that: 68 strips of bacon! Take a good look America—this is what’s filling your arteries!
After monitoring my diet, and my body’s reaction to particular foods, I now find myself gravitating more and more toward self-preparation. When I attend my university classes, I bring along a lunchbox filled with fruit, baked chicken, rice balls, and slices of cucumber sprinkled with rice-vinegar and sesame seeds. I look around myself and see classmates chowing down double hamburgers dripping grease, or slices of pizza.
After a time, I realized that my trainer had not just instituted a new system of exercise, he had converted me to a new lifestyle: one organized on a principle of personal efficiency. Not just for healthy food, but for healthy living. Through it, I find myself doing things differently, and feeling better for it. Sleep is another change; more of it, and more time for it.
Where before I would think nothing of pulling an all-nighter, or going to an all-night poker party and getting by on four or five hours of sleep, now I hit the sack by nine or ten o’clock. There’s much to be said for getting to bed early, reading a book or listening to something before turning off the lights. With podcasts and DVR’s, there’s no need to stay up late, and what good does it do anyway? By the time the clock reads 10:00 PM, I’m sound asleep. My alarm goes off at 0600, and I flip on the coffee maker on my bedside table, loaded with water and a teabag the night before (coffee gives me heartburn). By the time I’m out of the shower, there’s a full pot of tea waiting for me. Then it’s off to the club for a workout before the day’s work begins.
Stretching, toning, elliptical exercises, cardio, dumbbells, free-weights, stretches, snatches, power-cleans, pushups, rowing, situps, karate, and always water; constant hydration.
By the time my training session ends, I’m feeling supercharged, and ready for the day’s challenges. At lunch I see people hurriedly gulping double espressos or throwing a bran muffin into their gullets before charging off who knows where; constantly looking at their watches, hoping against hope that there is still time to make the deadline. Sure, I’ve got deadlines, but with careful planning ahead, you can get the work done and not feel pressed for time.
As part of my new regimen, I’ve sworn off fast food, and set aside time to make my own meals. Sure, it’s more work, but you get a lot more choices than just three different sizes of fries. Even as I write these words, I’m taking careful bites of a green salad with chunks grilled beef, covered with oil & vinegar dressing. I’ll complement this with a Fuji apple and a couple of carrots and a handful of blueberries for dessert. I feel great; it’s too bad not everyone else does.
Every day around lunchtime I see the same 20-something with a slice of pizza in his mouth, and every day he looks a little heavier, his face a little more unshaven, the skin on his cheeks a little more slack, the eyes a little more glassy. I think he’s living on caffeine and pizza with extra cheese; as a diet, not good.
According to a recent report, the PB&C milkshake contains 2,010 calories, and is equivalent to eating 68 strips of bacon, or 30 chocolate chip cookies in one sitting. www.msnbc.msn.com/id/374036...nutrition/
I’m still trying to wrap my head around that: 68 strips of bacon! Take a good look America—this is what’s filling your arteries!
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