Monthly Archives: March 2008

My life

Historical significance

31 March 2008 – 3:35 pm

According to www.on-this-day.com it’s important to note, on this day in history, nineteen-hundred-ninety-nine, Fabio was hit in the face by a bird during a promotional ride of a new roller coaster at the Busch Gardens theme park in Williamsburg, VA. Fabio received a one-inch cut across his nose. I kid you not. This is actually listed alongside the Eiffel Tower opening, Ford debuting its V-8 engine, and Germany beginning its counter-offensive in North Africa.

So here’s my question: What the?!!!

It’s not like comacazi fowl are unusual. Please. And theme parks?! Dangerous ground my friend, dangerous ground. I remember going to The Lagoon when I was young. There I was … sitting on a park bench with a friend … enjoying a snack or two … when I felt something plop-a-top my head. At first I thought it was a bird with gastric distress. But then I looked up. There they were.  Two boys.  Hovering well above my head they were laughing and pointing.  They thought they were hysterical–as boys so often do when they do something unbecoming, like spit on a girls head!  

Of course, as said girl, I can tell you boy spit was ten-times worse than bird poop could EVER be. I was ruined. Ruined.

Guess I should just be thankful that particular low-point did not make it on a list of historical events–at least none that I’m aware of …

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Life of greatness

Happy easter

22 March 2008 – 7:16 am

 

“Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem.  They were talking with each other about everything that had happened…” – Luke 24:13-14

There they are–two of Christ’s followers–trudging the old dirt road leading to Emmaus. Kicking pebbles here and there, they keep their arms folded, their eyes downcast. They talk in despairing voices. How could they have killed Jesus? Did they not hear his teachings? Did they not see the miracles? Why did God let it happen? His own son! With the Savior dead and buried, what hope does Israel have now? And Judas! Don’t even get me started on Judas!

They’re so into their discussion they don’t even see the stranger now walking beside them. “What are you talking about?” He asks. Can’t you just see the twinkle in His eye? They stop walking; but they just can’t bring themselves to look up. The question doesn’t even merit a response. Don’t you know? The stranger shrugs, shakes his head, inquires further, and the floodgates open. They tell it all. Every wretched detail–His name was Jesus, they begin. They tell of his signs and wonders–how despite all His great words and deeds, their own rulers handed Him over to be sentenced to death. Only three days earlier, they explain, He was crucified on an old wooden cross. He died and was buried, along with their hope for salvation. Then, to top it all off, the women went to His tomb, found it empty, and now claim He has risen from the dead.

All this and Jesus was right before their eyes. How could they have missed Him?

How could we?

We know He rose from the dead–we’ve read the scriptures, heard the sermons, and sang the songs. Yet when it comes down to the nitty-gritty of life, we often live as though He were dead. We focus on our despair, we try to fix things ourselves, we try to carry the burden alone. All this when the one who walked before us–the one who understands the burden of this world more than anyone–who laughed and cried, who felt the joy of friendship and the pang of betrayal, who felt misunderstood, alone, and abandoned–He is not dead. He is risen; and He walks right beside us.

Tell me, He says. All we have to do is look up.

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My life

Up, up and away …

11 March 2008 – 4:00 pm

Anyone who knows me knows debacles of all sorts and varieties tend to abound when my mom and I travel together. For some reason, stories of said debacles seem to amuse friends and family. So I guess it’s only natural people would be begin to wonder about our last trip to Mexico. Got any weird stories?

For the record, our stay was quite ordinary, thank-you-very-much. We lounged on white sand beaches and sipped pina coladas and mango margaritas. We traveled to one of the new wonders of the world, where our poor gringa-selves nearly melted in the sun. We meandered through the shopping district and got fairly fluent in saying, “No, gracias.” Shop here! We are cheaper than Walmart. “No, gracias.” Do you want a free massage? “No, gracias.” Do you want a Mexican boyfriend … well, you get the idea …

And then we decided to parasail.

It was lovely. *sigh* As Dr. Seuss would say, “If you haven’t, you should, these things are fun, and fun is good!” Floating above a sea of blue, the world was at once peaceful and serene. Then we began to drift. It was hardly noticeable at first. But before we knew it we were looming large above some poor, unfortunate man minding his own business on the beach. His children, having run from the waves screaming and crying, each latched to a leg for dear life.

Normally I would have said something clever and witty, but two issues were taking precedence: 1) I was wondering how much of my white pasty butt was hanging out of the harness; and 2) we were getting dangerously close to a crag of rocks.

Luckily, the boat started moving again just in time. And we were floating up, up and away from the humiliation of it all.

Kinda like life, isn’t it?! Just when you think you’re about to get skewered on the crags of despair, the wind lifts your sails. All you got to do is hang in there. Chances are, when it’s all said and done, you’ll look back and say, it wasn’t so bad …

Oh look! There we are ...

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Miscellany

‘allo?

10 March 2008 – 4:08 pm

March 10, 1876 the first words were transmitted via electric waves. In other words, it was the first telephone convo. Alexander Graham Bell spoke, “Watson, come here; I want you” and Watson heard the call. A momentous occasion for sure and yet I chuckle. Seriously. Of all the things he could have said; yet he chose to go with “Watson, come here; I want you.”

Kinda reminds me of the time my mom went to call in a prescription. The Pharmacist answered the phone with, “Such-n-Such Pharmacy, can I hold you?!”

But I digress …

So let’s take a bit of time to be thankful for that great invention of Alexander Graham Bell–for all the serious and not-so-serious words it has conveyed. For all the ways it has brought us together in joy and sorrow–in hilarity too!  

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Miscellany

Be Kind Rewind (2008)

2 March 2008 – 1:00 am

A movie about the magic that is the movies…

The genre: Comedy/Drama

The gist: Mike (Mos Def) works for Mr. Fletcher (Danny Glover) at the Be Kind Rewind movie rental store – where you can rent a VHS for one day, for one dollar.  When Mr. Fletcher leaves town to research ways he might revitalize his failing business, he puts Mike in charge.  And he leaves instructions not to let Mike’s conspiracy-theorist friend Jerry (Jack Black) in the building.  But Jerry does enter the building.  Magnetized.  And he erases every movie in the store.  In an attempt to stay out of trouble – and keep what little business they have – Mike and Jerry decide to re-films the movies themselves.  With the help of Jerry’s mechanic, Wilson (Irv Gooch), and Alma (Melonie Diaz), a young girl from the local dry-cleaners, they make short clips of our most beloved movies.  In the end they become not only the stars of the shows, but their whole neighborhood as well. 

My take:  The first part of the movie was so slow it was almost painful.  As I was sitting there – trying to make sense of it all – the thought did cross my mind that I could easily excuse myself and never return.  And that’s a pity.  Because the mid to end of the movie proved it could have been a classic film.  Of course, the fun begins once Jerry and Mike decide to “swede” – or film their own version of – the movies that have been erased.  Not only do the remakes provide a sense of nostalgia for anyone familiar with the movies being made, but anyone in the film business is sure to be reminded of his/her first attempt at making a film on a non-existent budget.  Needless to say, there are plenty of laughs in the middle of the movie.  But in the end, it’s all about the heart.  Though Michel Gondry (Writer/Director) could have given us a stronger opening, he still manages to give us a great movie about movies – reminding us that movies bring us together, and for a few brief moments, allow us to forget the disappointment that may be lingering right outside the door …

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