Life is Truth
The Witch of Blackbird Pond (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In a recent Wednesday Writing Prompt, I asked you to consider what themes and motifs seem to appear regularly in your everyday life. One theme that regularly appears in my life is the concept of “truth.” This has occasionally crossed my mind over the past three years, but finally hit home last week when I discovered that yet another research paper had turned into a discussion of the identification and exploration of universal truths.
I’d been writing a narratological analysis of Elizabeth George Speare’s historical YA novel, The Witch of Blackbird Pond and found that many of the academic resources I was reviewing on historical fiction seem to touch on those aspects of human nature that are largely unchanged from one generation to the next. While this was, by no means, the thesis of any of the research papers I read, it was the one common thread that seemed to weave through all of the pieces. (more…)
You gotta know when to walk away… and when to run
What do you do if your man thinks you're repulsive when you're pregnant? | A pregnant woman (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Yesterday, I was listening to the Connie and Curtis morning show on my drive to school. It was Saturday, so of course the show was a replay… in other words, there was no way for me to call in and comment on the topic they were discussing. And of course, it was one of those topics I wanted so much to comment on. As usual, I decided to turn my response into a blog post instead.
Anyway, Connie and Curtis were discussing the plight of a woman whose husband had told her he didn’t want to have any more kids with her because she’s not attractive when she’s pregnant. And apparently, according to him, all of his friends thought she was repulsive as well. He sounds like a winner, right?
Let me just start by saying that my own EX-husband (emphasis on the EX) used to make similar remarks about me on a regular basis. So of course, my gut reaction was that she should leave him. This poor woman’s husband is showing his true colors. This is who he is. Either she accepts him as he is, or she doesn’t truly love him. As far as I can tell, she has two choices: love him as he is, or leave him in the past where he belongs. (more…)
Purple is for Independence
Here's my purple independence quilt, specially made for me by my mommy.
I never used to like purple. It was always way too girly for me.
When my older son was little, he insisted (much to his father’s chagrin) that his favorite color was purple. My son was about 3 years old when we bought our house. We asked him what color he wanted to paint his room, and he said, “Purple.” His dad threw a fit.
We asked this question again and again, and always the answer remained the same. We eventually painted the poor kid’s bedroom Buzz Lightyear Blue. He was happy enough with the new color, but once in a while, he would confess to me that he really wished it was purple.
Although my son eventually outgrew his purple fetish, the color had begun to grow on me. The fact that my brave little boy could stand up to his dad and keep asking for purple knowing that it would only get him in trouble was a symbol of hope for me. My son had a voice of his own, and he was not afraid to use it. (more…)
Lying is futile
Image via Wikipedia
I don’t get liars, never have. What’s the point? The truth always comes out in the end, no matter how hard you try to cover it up. Truth is afraid of the dark. It doesn’t like to be hidden under a brown paper bag, and it always finds a way to escape.
Back when I was in basic training in the Air Force, our TI’s (short for training instructor, that’s what we called them in the Air Force, as opposed to a drill sergeant in the Army) put us through long, excruciating exercises in paying attention and following instructions. One day, we spent several hours putting our laundry marks in every item of military clothing we’d been issued. (more…)
