tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32655669758134533852024-03-05T04:20:17.221-08:00Fairytale RamblingsChicoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16504144663440678542noreply@blogger.comBlogger146125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265566975813453385.post-57936495184666653182021-02-26T06:38:00.000-08:002021-02-26T06:38:36.169-08:00Some Thoughs on Different Morality<p><span style="font-size: large;">So, this entire post is based on me miss-reading a YouTube comment. I <i>thought</i></span><span style="font-size: large;"> the commenter said (I'm paraphrasing) that it would be interesting if people were to write fantasy stories in a setting where morality was different. He or she then followed with an example that was not a different moral reality- it was a different <i>perception</i> of morality. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">When I went back and re-read the comment, I discovered that the person had never been talking about inventing worlds where morality was different- they simply thought it would be interesting if people spent more time detailing what moral beliefs people (or creatures) followed in an invented world. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Of course, by then I had several pages, written long-hand (at 3:00 AM) detailing the difference between alternate morality and an altered perception of reality. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">There are very few stories in a setting which involves an actual <i>different morality</i>. The one that comes to mind is <i>Perelandra</i> by C. S. Lewis. The concept behind the story is `what if someone from our world went to a planet where sin was never introduced, and they had a chance to warn the Eve figure against disobeying God?' </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> The people on Perelandra are naked, and there's nothing wrong with that. Not `there's no man-made stigma against it' but literally <i>nothing wrong</i> with it. The main character, Ransom, can talk all day to a naked woman and not have even a twinge of lust or embarrassment -not even think of her as naked- because everyone on Perelandra is operating under a different moral system than that of earth.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">What <i>is</i> immoral on Perelandra is spending the night on solid ground. All the land is floating, the landscape constantly changing with the swells and dips of the ocean waves forming mountains and valleys -all except one tiny rock island, which the people were warned by God not to inhabit. Doing so (Ransom eventually realizes) doesn't just show disobedience, but also a lack of faith -a desire to take control away from God by seeking an earthly permanence. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Now, C. S. Lewis was a Christian apologist (that's not someone who apologies for being a Christian; a Christian apologist is basically a philosopher who starts out with the underlying assumption that Christianity is true and that all his philosophies must build off that foundation.) so he was deeply interested in the underlying philosophy behind what is and isn't immoral. Maybe that's why he was able to write a convincing story about a place where nakedness is find, but if you linger on a rock island as sunset approaches, you will feel rightfully guilty for pushing the line. <i>Perelandra</i> is a thought experiment. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It's really hard to write stories with an actual different morality because certain moral laws are hard-wired into human beings, I believe, by God. This makes actual different moral systems hard to relate to. I'm not sure you can do it without changing physical laws as well.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Coming up with different moral beliefs for different societies, on the other hand, is much easier and makes your world more realistic. It happens in the real world all the time.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">For example, according to Jim Bishop's book, <i>The Day Christ Died</i>, `In Rome, the people thought that they were being lenient in permitting condemned men or surly slaves to fight for their lives. Their feeling was: "They are to die anyway. We give them a chance."' <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The difference between moral beliefs and actual moral law (the cause/effect of our actions) is the difference between icing and cake. The icing may change how a cake looks, but it doesn't change the cake. Chocolate is still chocolate, yellow cake is still yellow, even if the `icing' is actually whipped cream and strawberries. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Moral beliefs shift all the time, depending on the views of society, and particularly who holds power, but the underlying moral laws do not shift. An example is the chattel slavery in the American south. Treating people as animals was not moral during the time that slavery was legal, and didn't become immoral the second the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">As a pro-lifer, I would argue that the same principle holds in regard to abortion. I believe a baby is already a baby within the womb, and that calling him or her a fetus pre-birth is akin to slave owners calling black people sub-human. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In both cases, because people are hard-wired to want to be moral -to object to killing babies, or treating people as animals- society has to de-humanize the victims in order to make such actions socially acceptable. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It bothers me that people equate moral laws, given by God, with human laws which shift every time a government changes administration. I am especially concerned for the word-smiths of our nation, that we not confuse different morality with a different perception of morality. It is, to quote Mark Twain, `the difference between lightening and a lightening bug'.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /></p>Chicoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16504144663440678542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265566975813453385.post-62250479145116732212020-02-04T06:07:00.002-08:002020-02-04T06:07:49.296-08:00More Thoughts on the Little Mermaid<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">When I wrote my previous post on Disney's `The Little Mermaid' I only talked about how rebellion shouldn't be treated as a role model. I think I did the movie an injustice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">`The Little Mermaid' is one of my favorite Disney movies ever, and that's because, to me, there are some pretty allegorical moments. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The temptation scene is masterful, the way the eels watch Ariel and wait until she's most vulnerable to come at her; the fact that she <i>doesn't</i> give in right away. They have to work to convince her, pressuring her to make a decision while she's still hurt and angry. Then the way she throws her hurt back on Sebastian, using his mistake as an excuse not to listen to him, how that attitude shows that she's going to the Sea Witch as much from anger at her father and friends as from her fascination with Prince Eric... her conflicting emotions are just beautiful. Then there's that moment in the doorway where you can see on her face that she's realized this is a <i>really bad idea</i> and nearly turns back -only to keep going when Ursula calls out to her.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">To me, that whole scene is a warning- a reminder not to let people pressure you into doing wrong and stupid things, and also not to tell yourself that you've already come too far to turn back. Maybe just as importantly, not to go into self-destruction mode as a `take that' to those who care about you. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> The really allegorical bit is the end, where her father, King Triton is willing to take her place, her punishment. Yeah, the movie isn't a perfect allegory (the end falls apart in that regard) but where King Triton signs his name over Ariel's on the contract it always makes me think about God, and how Jesus took our punishment when he didn't <i>have</i> to- when he didn't deserve it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Because, despite all our rebellion, all our `take thats' he still loved us that much.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>Chicoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16504144663440678542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265566975813453385.post-3176940984789436962017-12-24T19:03:00.000-08:002017-12-24T19:03:01.533-08:00Merry Christmas<span style="font-size: large;"><i>For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i> John 3:16-18 </i></span><br />
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<br />Chicoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16504144663440678542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265566975813453385.post-66011751010542195912017-12-18T09:23:00.002-08:002017-12-18T09:23:40.807-08:00It's A Wonderful Life<span style="font-size: large;">I went out to see `It's a Wonderful Life' for the first time in years. The movie was showing in a vintage theater, and my brother and I got to sit in the balcony. It was a lovely experience.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">After all this time, I finally appreciate the move. As a kid -one with big dreams of my own- I hated how George never got to travel. Of course, at that age I probably would've been upset by the opening montage in `Up,' too. They're very similar in their way of showing how life and responsibilities can completely derail all your plans. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">But the movie isn't about `hey, you've given up on all your hopes and dreams, but at least <i>everyone else</i> is better off.' It's about how caring for people can hurt- but it's still better than just caring about yourself. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Old Man Potter, George's opposite and foil, shows that in his jealousy of George. His stealing the money is prompted by seeing George and Uncle Charlie's joy at the national recognition of George's younger brother, Harry. Old Man Potter is alone and hated, because he only ever looks out for Number One. Old Man Potter can't be proud of his brother, or son, or friends -not only because he has none, but also because to be proud of someone, you have to love them. Old Man Potter might not understand how George got there, but he recognizes George's success-by-proxy, even if George himself can't see it.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> George doesn't get what he wants <i>in the way he recognizes</i>, but he does get his dreams on a small scale. He never builds skyscrapers and bridges, but he builds `Baily Park'. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">After George and Mary loose all the money for their honeymoon, Mary and a couple of George's friends try to turn the old, broken-down house into an exotic getaway. They completely fail. The place is still a wreck. The sealing drips in a most un-exotic way. George comes in dripping wet, disappointed, and finds that his new wife thinks he's a hero and his friends are desperate to give him the closest thing they can to what he wants most.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">These aren't obvious successes or fulfilled dreams to George -but only because he thinks he knows what success looks like. From the outside -from Old Man Potter's viewpoint- George succeeds at everything he puts his hand to. That's why he's a threat and a rival at all.</span><br />
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<br />Chicoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16504144663440678542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265566975813453385.post-86327870947060616592016-12-24T13:49:00.001-08:002016-12-24T13:49:57.376-08:00Merry Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGdQs2yoRaYFyCw2qaDMnUGegGmiCz6ah8Mp3FgRKgOnNLJJOAjo9Zj3l43Q29cxdbipx-ZGj7_BO6cHEwwCeQevcehaOSF_qx7NJ130rrwr3hyphenhyphenGmxEDV43xn9siInthpnI_Q0qobfl6MD/s1600/Grace+1-2010+073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGdQs2yoRaYFyCw2qaDMnUGegGmiCz6ah8Mp3FgRKgOnNLJJOAjo9Zj3l43Q29cxdbipx-ZGj7_BO6cHEwwCeQevcehaOSF_qx7NJ130rrwr3hyphenhyphenGmxEDV43xn9siInthpnI_Q0qobfl6MD/s320/Grace+1-2010+073.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night. And lo, the angle of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />Luke 2:8-11</span>Chicoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16504144663440678542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265566975813453385.post-783887994520165282016-07-18T11:20:00.000-07:002016-07-18T11:20:25.507-07:00Mirroring Characters in The Black Cauldron<span style="font-size: large;">Lloyd Alexander's P<i>rydain Chronicles</i> make good use of theme, and one of the ways Alexander expresses his theme is with mirroring characters. In<i> The Black Cauldron</i> (my favorite in the series) Taran has two mirror characters: Adaon and Ellidyr. (Fair warning; if you haven't read the book and don't want any spoilers, you may not want to read this post.)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Adaon, son of the chief bard of Prydain, is everything Taran wants to be; kind, wise, brave and honorable, all without seeming to struggle for it. Actually, he is a lot like what Taran eventually becomes by the end of <i>The High King</i>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Taran soon realized there was little Adaon had not seen and done. He had sailed far beyond the Isle of Mona, even to the northern sea; he had worked at the potter's wheel, cast nets with the fisherfolk, woven cloth at the looms of the cottagers; and, like Taran, labored over the glowing forge</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Pottery and weaving are two of the skills Taran learns in <i>Taran Wanderer</i>, and he sails to Mona in The Castle of Llyr. At this point in The Black Cauldron, Taran lacks Adaon's experience. Most of all, Taran lacks Adaon's understanding that true honor does not depend on having your deeds recognized. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Ellydyr, on the other hand, is an echo of where Taran is at the start of <i>The Black Cauldron</i>. Ellidyr is near Taran's age, and even more proud and impulsive. He, like Taran, is desperately seeking recognition -and confusing public recognition with honor. Ellidyr, the youngest son of an impoverished noble, is obsessed with rank (as is Taran the Assistant Pig-Keeper, so named because at least that way he'll <i>have</i> a title even if it's only one Coll invented for him.) Unlike Taran, Ellidyr is so consumed by his desire for `honor' that he is willing to act unscrupulously to get the public notice he thinks he deserves. He is a warning of what Taran could become if he continues to think of honor as dependent on how others view him, rather than dependent on his own actions.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">With the characters of Adaon and Ellidyr, Lloyd Alexander is able to clearly illustrate the choice Taran is making about the man he wants to become. He shows us where each of those paths lead. I don't think its a coincidence that both Adaon and Ellidyr die over the course of the story, or that Ellidyr sees what he has become before the end. Alexander shows where the roads go completely, including their end.</span><br />
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<br />Chicoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16504144663440678542noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265566975813453385.post-22126622461212172932016-06-25T07:53:00.001-07:002016-06-25T07:53:13.073-07:00Not Always The Center of Attention<span style="font-size: large;">There is this idea going around that one's viewpoint character has to be the most important person in the story. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">While the main character should be important (otherwise why are they the main character?) The idea that they must be <i>the most important person</i> can, I think, keep a writer from seeing all the story possibilities.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Take Tolkien, for example. He makes a point that his characters are just a small part in a larger history, but instead of detracting, the shift in focus makes his stories surprising and unpredictable.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">When I first read `The Hobbit' I was shocked when a random side character slays the dragon. "That's not how stories are supposed to go," I grumbled. "If he's not going to do the heroic stuff, why is Bilbo the main character, huh, Tolkien? Answer me that!" Tolkien spent the next few chapters after his false climax showing <i>exactly</i> why Bilbo Baggens is a hero. He gave us an internal struggle that was far more unforgettable than another monster biting the dust. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">One of the things that makes Tolkien so great is that his characters don't have to be the center of attention. They carry an endearing sense of humility that I think a number of modern novels lack. The characters struggle and often even fail. Just like us. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Main characters who do the hero stuff are not a bad thing, but sometimes the best moments aren't the obvious ones. Sometimes to find those less obvious moments, the hero has to stand in the shade instead of the limelight. </span>Chicoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16504144663440678542noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265566975813453385.post-83826766504254859152016-04-02T10:32:00.000-07:002016-05-09T15:57:16.330-07:00Donovan and Chicory in the Kitchen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1stTly1zj9vSqICcFI_nQ4L7FKI8xJYB9ByzZeeNh2RW7MIuCgxsNP3Kcf7ZlrrqEB4GsDnLLYlJchgCfnGtY-j7PgztENRI8pPJAmocRgrxb_xxSXiKKvZnJibey_GSG4kJMOj7aIS8-/s1600/chicory+kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1stTly1zj9vSqICcFI_nQ4L7FKI8xJYB9ByzZeeNh2RW7MIuCgxsNP3Kcf7ZlrrqEB4GsDnLLYlJchgCfnGtY-j7PgztENRI8pPJAmocRgrxb_xxSXiKKvZnJibey_GSG4kJMOj7aIS8-/s1600/chicory+kitchen.jpg" width="248" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Well, I'm back. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">It has been some time since I posted a drawing (or anything besides my Easter post last week). I'm rather proud of the amount of detail in this one -especially the checker-topped stool, and the stamp wall hanging. I'm not sure if anyone can tell that the counter-tops are meant to be Dominoes. My grandmother had a set of black dominoes with white spots that I grew up playing with, and those are the basis for the counters. </span>Chicoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16504144663440678542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265566975813453385.post-37654687081513528502016-03-25T09:11:00.000-07:002016-03-25T09:11:26.444-07:00Happy Easter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnvLiKT66AN37BkqvPmgitXJ2_PMYAFxzDDukaAUbmPhtkRcyaCYD8HEm3_lHWT0XXaTaKgE_hU31bjIaYCgphSEdUeC59XHnN49rgeAOM6vtrcre8FiuBR-4SWX-vr9-8sCWyvzgD-30P/s1600/grace+April+13+124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnvLiKT66AN37BkqvPmgitXJ2_PMYAFxzDDukaAUbmPhtkRcyaCYD8HEm3_lHWT0XXaTaKgE_hU31bjIaYCgphSEdUeC59XHnN49rgeAOM6vtrcre8FiuBR-4SWX-vr9-8sCWyvzgD-30P/s320/grace+April+13+124.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors though Him who loves us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Romans 8:35-39</i></span>Chicoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16504144663440678542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265566975813453385.post-65849273153122643542015-07-22T17:55:00.002-07:002015-07-22T17:55:31.744-07:00Politics<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span></span>With
all the media attention lately on gay marriage and gay rights, there's an
aspect of the whole thing that nobody mentioned; peer pressure.<span> </span>I have a brother whose former co-workers decided he
was gay and were just cruel to him.<span> </span>My
brother isn't gay.<span> </span>He's bi-polar.<span> </span></span>
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>It
bothers me that people think its okay to speculate about someone's sexual
orientation.<span> </span>If a person doesn't fit
their idea of normal they label him or her as gay, then try to convince the
person that it's true- like they know better than you do what you should be
doing with your own body.<span> </span>If you try to
defend yourself they say you're just afraid to come out of the closet.<span> </span>If you don't want to have sex with anyone -man
or woman- that somehow `proves' you're gay, too.<span> </span>There's no way to win.<span> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span></span>It's
got to affect a lot of high-school kids who are already trying to figure out
who they are.<span> </span>If you're getting bullied
already, if everyone else decides you're gay, do you <i>really</i> have a
choice, or has that just been stolen from you by rumors?<span> </span>People tend to be what's expected of them,
teens more than anyone, because they're still just learning that they <i>do</i>
get to decide what kind of person they'll become; who they are isn't up for
vote and sometimes the majority is just wrong.</span></div>
Chicoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16504144663440678542noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265566975813453385.post-12412545809750383232015-04-15T08:36:00.002-07:002019-11-20T22:01:28.267-08:00Raising Stakes<span style="font-size: large;">Raising stakes is important. Janice Hardy <a href="http://blog.janicehardy.com/2009/07/upping-stakes.html">talks about it better than I ever could</a>, but I did have some recent thoughts on the subject that I thought I'd share.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> One of the problems with trying to raise stakes according to Donald Maass, author of <i>Writing the Breakout Novel</i>, is that it's too easy to have the same stakes only bigger- like, first New York is in peril, then later all of North America, then as the climax nears the heroes discover that the World is Doomed. Of course, the reader has an easier time picturing an imperiled New York than the world doomed, so by the time the high stakes are reached his or her brain just exploded.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> There's another problem with raising stakes that way though; the emotional play is too similar. "Oh no! Not New York!" "Oh no! Not North America!" "Oh no! Not the Entire World!" The repetition can make everything flatten. But sometimes the story really does want to go, "First New York... then North America... finally... the Entire World!" Donald Maass suggests that one way to fix the problem is to have new complications mixed in -like family problems, or rioting. That is very good advice.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Another thing that I think can help is varying the reaction of the characters. I have been working (or pretending to work) on a story where there is a monster attack. A couple chapters later there is an attack by an even bigger monster, only when I got to that scene the second monster felt anticlimactic. There are, after all, only so many ways you can say 'my hero was terrified. He was <i>really</i> terrified. Seriously folks, this is scary stuff.'</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> Fortunately, God blessed me with friends who aren't afraid to tell me when my story is not working so I went back to the scene, stared at it a lot, banged my head on the desk a few times and finally thought <i>what if the hero isn't terrified? What if, instead, seeing the monster gives him an adrenalin rush that makes him unusually reckless?</i> It's a reaction that makes sense, it builds suspense (because reckless characters might make mistakes) and best of all it's not just a repetition of the earlier scene. I don't know that varying the reaction will always work to raise stakes, but I know it worked for me in this particular instance and I'm filing it in the back of my mind for future use. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
Chicoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16504144663440678542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265566975813453385.post-41311263165038131872015-04-08T12:49:00.000-07:002015-04-08T12:49:00.390-07:00Some thoughts on Christian Fantasy<span style="font-size: large;">I was reading an interesting book recently, a fantasy published by Bethany House, and I noticed I was way more critical of the underlying ideas than if I had been reading a book from a secular publishing house and then found out the author was a Christian. That was not something I wanted to discover about myself.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">I don't want to just turn off my critical thinking skills
if a book is from a Christian publisher. That can happen. You just
assume that you and the author agree, and you gloss over stuff that
would raise a red flag if the book didn't have that label. (Of course, I
also have a tendency to gloss over stuff if the writing is amazing, and
then realize several books later oh yeah- this person and I disagree
about everything. But she/he writes so well!)</span> I just don't want to judge people unfairly because they label their books as Christian fantasy instead of just fantasy. A book should stand on its own. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Tim Hawkins once made a comment that people call him a Christian comedian instead of a comedian who is a Christian but they don't do that for plumbers and other jobs. If someone is a Christian and also a writer, they aren't (or shouldn't be) more of a Christian if they're writing for Zondervan and less of a Christian if they're writing for Scholastic. What a person believes may be presented differently, but there is something seriously wrong with the writer if their <i>actual beliefs</i> change whenever they switch publishers.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I don't know how many Christian fantasy writers think about whether they're writing for a Christian or secular publishing house when they're actually working on the book. Marketing has to cross a person's mind sometime, but, at least at first, you just write the story how ever it wants to be told. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">This post is really just me thinking out loud. I don't have any amazing revelations, just a realization that, yes, a label really does affect the way I approach a work, even if it shouldn't.</span><br />
<br />
<br />Chicoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16504144663440678542noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265566975813453385.post-49991510015775465362015-04-01T13:46:00.000-07:002015-04-01T13:46:31.297-07:00Happy Easter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL-0Bb8kmG43VBGarbKOg-fX31Vp6561i9WpHMQs8PNMAt1uOPmxkJ5nqgnxq00jH4t4SN-qdEVd8CoC-4iiffeJLmAdSLYZKBJyR65e6xM5DWQIJ4UG8eDh7n9Ce2-lhyphenhyphenqEE184XbEJes/s1600/IMG_5072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL-0Bb8kmG43VBGarbKOg-fX31Vp6561i9WpHMQs8PNMAt1uOPmxkJ5nqgnxq00jH4t4SN-qdEVd8CoC-4iiffeJLmAdSLYZKBJyR65e6xM5DWQIJ4UG8eDh7n9Ce2-lhyphenhyphenqEE184XbEJes/s1600/IMG_5072.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">For I know </span></i><span style="font-size: large;">that</span><i><span style="font-size: large;"> my Redeemer lives,</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">And He shall stand at last on the earth;</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">And after my skin is destroyed, this I </span></i><span style="font-size: large;">know</span><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">That in my flesh I shall see God,</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Whom I shall see for myself,</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">And my eyes shall behold, and not another.</span></i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Job 19:25-27a </span><br />
<br />Chicoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16504144663440678542noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265566975813453385.post-79028852549174973482014-12-26T13:31:00.002-08:002014-12-26T13:31:45.648-08:00Merry Christmas (a day late.)<i><span style="font-size: large;">Shake yourself from the dust, arise; </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Loose yourself from the bonds of your neck, </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">O captive daughter of Zion! </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">For thus says the Lord: </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">"You have sold yourselves for nothing,</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;"> And you shall be redeemed without money."</span></i><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Isaiah 52:2-3</span></i>Chicoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16504144663440678542noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265566975813453385.post-68607130512593255572014-11-22T06:52:00.000-08:002014-11-22T06:52:26.276-08:00Happy Thanksgiving<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Oh give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good! For his mercy endures forever. -Psalm 136:1</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I am so thankful this year for my family and friends. That's what I'm always thankful for, but hey- they're such awesome people. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">My blog posting has been really erratic this past year. I keep disappearing and not telling anyone, so this time I thought I should say something; I have decided to stop blogging until after New Year. (Well, I'll probably do a Christmas post because why break tradition?) I had hoped to get myself back on some kind of schedule, but the holidays are not the time to do it (especially not when you're trying to make some of your presents, and all of a sudden December is almost here. Yikes! Where did the time go?) </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Have a great Thanksgiving, everyone!</span>Chicoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16504144663440678542noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265566975813453385.post-35307051318658538612014-10-25T08:22:00.000-07:002014-10-25T08:22:02.741-07:00Thoughts on the Movie `God's Not Dead' and the Use of Subplots<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">In Ansen Dibell's book `Plot' he talks about the importance of patterns and echoes, how they hold a story together on a subconscious level. By allowing a subplot or character to echo your main one, you give yourself room to explore your theme from a different angle. Instead of presenting just one idea or outcome, you're allowing the audience to see your problem from several sides.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I just saw the movie <i>God's Not Dead</i>, and it is a great example of this kind of weaving. (If you don't want to be spoiler-ed, now would be the time to stop reading.) The main plot is that Christian law student is challenged by an atheist Philosophy professor to prove that God exists, so the story is basically a courtroom drama. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> One major theme in the movie is the importance of standing up for God despite outside pressure. This theme could have been carried by the main plot but it would have been weakened by the fact that the hero's decision to stand up for God has no negative impact on his life. He doesn't flunk the class and he doesn't publicly humiliate himself. In fact, he gets publicly honored. It's a total win. This ending runs the risk of making the story seem trite. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Fortunately, the main plot is echoed by several sub-plots. We follow a girl from a
very traditional Muslim family and a Chinese foreign exchange student who is
also in the Philosophy class. The girl from the traditional Muslim family turns out to secretly be a Christian. When her father finds out, he throws her out of their home. The Chinese student is left with a similar situation he texts his father about all the talk of God in Philosophy class and is told to go with what the teacher says, and also that the line they are using might be insecure. He becomes a Christian in America, but will eventually be returning to a country where Freedom of Religion is not a right. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> By creating a pattern the storyteller deepens the story and invites the viewer to truly think through their theme. </span><br />
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<br />Chicoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16504144663440678542noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265566975813453385.post-23550081830404277722014-10-04T17:26:00.001-07:002014-10-04T17:26:30.454-07:00The Sculpture<span style="font-size: large;">This past Sunday was Walk for Life, the fundraiser for <a href="http://www.carenetfrederick.org/">CareNet</a>, our local pregnancy crisis center. As always, a wonderful group of people turned out to support the center. We had a diaper sculpture competition. My friends and I put this one together. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYVvpCg0qC-BK7hhytVBBQE9Cv5fPKNrEQXmqWm7zF_7qgWsoGX60EKCmXi8n-V56Ok7gRBoc3QymBItS3oLBIDfg6sgXjTSRv8niKoyNWQEP9S2vJ_pfp67VFV9IfwDOkfjAkkUKbripB/s1600/diaper+piano1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYVvpCg0qC-BK7hhytVBBQE9Cv5fPKNrEQXmqWm7zF_7qgWsoGX60EKCmXi8n-V56Ok7gRBoc3QymBItS3oLBIDfg6sgXjTSRv8niKoyNWQEP9S2vJ_pfp67VFV9IfwDOkfjAkkUKbripB/s1600/diaper+piano1.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Contrary to what it may look like, I did not build this alone. </span>Chicoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16504144663440678542noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265566975813453385.post-61370331437306554462014-09-16T12:08:00.004-07:002014-09-16T12:08:58.906-07:00Action<span style="font-size: large;">A bit ago I ran into a bit of a difficulty in the new novel I've been working on. Thirty-odd pages in I realized I was coming up on the first action scene -and suddenly the story stopped wanting to come. Instead of typing I was standing around the kitchen because waiting for a tea kettle to whistle was a lot more exciting than my story at the moment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Fortunately one of the things I do when I should be typing is read other people's blog posts. I was going through Janice Hardy's archive (because I wasn't quite desperate enough to clean bathrooms) when I came across <a href="http://blog.janicehardy.com/2009/10/flipping-out.html#more">this</a> article on raising stakes. Janice points out that it's difficult to make a situation suspenseful when you're too aware of how the scene needs to play out. You can end up just going through the motions. It was a major eureka moment for me. My problem was that my heroes couldn't die this early in the story -and my audience would know it. Sure, they could suspend disbelief. They could <i>pretend</i> to think everyone will die by page thirty one and the next two hundred pages will be a stirring eulogy, but in the back of their minds they know<i> -</i>and I know that they know-<i> that nobody was going to die this early in the story.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Janice's blog reminded me that lives don't have to be the only thing at risk in an action scene. What if the villains don't know who the heroes are during the first encounter -and the heroes have to keep it that way? Now the audience is afraid one of the heroes will slip up during the fight and let the secret out. Or what if the hero is on his way to Aunt Matilda's eightieth birthday party when the villain jumps him? If he doesn't escape in time for the party (or arrives with his clothes torn and his present stolen) his family will continue to think he's a dead-beat who doesn't care about them -especially if he's a spy and can't tell them what he's really up to. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> When it comes to life and death stakes, story placement has a huge
impact on suspense. I'm always more worried about a character in
physical danger if I'm in the last two thirds of a stand-alone novel, or if
I'm on the last book in a series. I know the author is less likely to
think <i>this character has to stay alive so I can use them later</i> if there isn't a `later' left. Also, I've spent enough time with the character to become attached -often because of those early action scenes where I knew all along that the hero couldn't possibly be in danger<i> yet</i>. </span>Chicoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16504144663440678542noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265566975813453385.post-60576043249525237412014-09-04T06:06:00.002-07:002014-09-04T06:07:05.042-07:00A New Sketch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipZ_nCWgMpEM1Ip6bex7Far3xwRNcC9i4D5KSxR-8hofgzANxcxFyeIBU5m0tWySoglJcqN8o-s26CGiIwPp0wcfZhzYT_0T8QeXItvxeKUS0YJRn7LzYahDsIF6jmRYgsowMEXHVUVSGn/s1600/skeet1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipZ_nCWgMpEM1Ip6bex7Far3xwRNcC9i4D5KSxR-8hofgzANxcxFyeIBU5m0tWySoglJcqN8o-s26CGiIwPp0wcfZhzYT_0T8QeXItvxeKUS0YJRn7LzYahDsIF6jmRYgsowMEXHVUVSGn/s1600/skeet1.jpg" height="320" width="305" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I like to give myself a visual of my characters. This guy is innocent and curious, and not human at all. He came about, oddly enough, while I was trying to write about a teenage elf assassin. Maybe my subconscious has something against assassins?</span>Chicoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16504144663440678542noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265566975813453385.post-51738863126353359142014-08-21T08:06:00.001-07:002014-08-21T08:06:34.282-07:00Piglet<span style="font-size: large;">I was re-reading <i>Winnie-the-Pooh</i> and <i>House on Pooh Corner</i>. I found it interesting that the penultimate chapter in the first book is
Piglet's rescue from the flood, and the two chapter before the final in
the second book are both stories where Piglet does the rescuing. It made me take a closer look at the heroism of Piglet.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> The first time Piglet comes to the rescue -climbing through Owl's letter box to get help when the house falls over- Pooh talks him into it by promising to write a song about him afterwards. Piglet wants to be brave -that's foreshadowed in chapter three of <i>House at Pooh Corner</i> when Piglet highjacks Pooh's story about heroically answering back to a heffalump
but gets completely flustered as soon as he thinks an actual
huffalump is talking to him- and he admires Pooh's courage. Piglet is very aware that he is vulnerable because he
is `a very small animal.' After Owl's house blows down his smallness becomes a strength instead of a weakness. He is the only one who can escape for help.</span> <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The second rescue -sacrificing his house so Owl won't be homeless and also to save Eeyore from embarrassment- is driven at least partly by Piglet's defining traits of his loyalty as a friend and his role as a peacemaker. In <i>The House at Pooh Corner</i> when Rabbit is trying to find out where Christopher Robin goes in the morning, Piglet is the one who thinks to cheer Eeyore with violets and then use them as a distraction when Eeyore takes offense at Rabbit. In the Woozle hunt in the first book, Piglet shows his loyalty. He may be the first to try to call off the hunt when he realizes that he and Pooh are outnumbered, but he doesn't leave until Christopher Robin appears and he knows Pooh will be protected.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Piglet does not appear heroic in most of the stories; he is mostly small, and friendly, someone who tries to avoid confrontations. But the groundwork for his heroism is there from the start. It just needed the right circumstances to shine. </span>Chicoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16504144663440678542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265566975813453385.post-83227059176819473302014-08-04T08:20:00.003-07:002014-08-04T08:21:43.165-07:00Musings<span style="font-size: large;">Last night I went to see a local stage production of <i>Music Man</i>. The choreography was amazing, especially in scenes like the Fourth of July celebration which always seemed to drag a little in the video but suddenly made sense when I saw it on stage. The one thing I did have trouble with was the romance. Marion was perfect in her initial disgust of the professor and in her later love for him, but the change between the two seemed abrupt. I suspect a lot of the abruptness has to do with when the play was written.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The show did get me thinking about how stories translate in different mediums -and the way art speaks different languages. For example, my music major friends actually understand the ending of <i>An American in Paris</i> while I always go "yeah, but if they just skipped that big song and dance number they could show the rival guy releasing the girl from her engagement, and the whole story would make more sense." (Then when I add that if they shortened a few other songs and skipped that one with the piano player it would solve a lot of pacing problems, I get the sad looks reserved for one who has just missed the entire point of the movie.) My music major friends can see the correlation between the music, the dance, and the emotional turmoil. For them the story truly does rise to a climax and resolution. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">It's a bit like Gary Chapman's </span><span style="font-size: large;">Love Languages. Maybe people have `soul languages' and that's why there are so many different types of art.</span><br />
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Chicoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16504144663440678542noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265566975813453385.post-55804036388478005152014-07-14T10:55:00.002-07:002014-07-14T10:55:36.475-07:00Musing on this Blog<span style="font-size: large;">When I started this blog, my idea was to spend a bit of time analyzing characters and themes in books and movies that I happen to either enjoy or have particularly pressing thoughts about. I seem to have gotten away from that a bit. (And I definitely got away from regularly posting. Lately I've been trying to write at least once every other week. <i>Trying</i> is the key word here.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Analyzing stories is a great way to learn about people. Even books I disagree with teach something. They give me a new perspective on issues, make me work, arguing my own position in my head. I'm not saying you should deliberately read books you find offensive (that would make reading a chore) but if you do come across one, it can be worth taking a few moments to remind yourself why you've taken your own position on the subject. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> Books, movies, TV shows, they all reflect what someone believes, what they hope for, what they consider just (or unjust). Stories have the ability to change society as well as reflect it. Dickens' work sure did a lot for social reform of his time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Writers and artists put a lot of work into their creations, into building a connection with people they're most likely never going to meet. I don't believe anyone would do that if they didn't have something they wanted to share with the world. So... thank you to all the Lit teachers out there who take the time to teach your students Critical Thinking. Thank you to writers of books, movies, TV shows, who want to share your thoughts and dreams with the world- and hope, whether you admit it out loud, to change the world for the better, if only for one person you might never even meet or hear from. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">To everyone who tries to make a difference, even when it seems to go unnoticed -Thanks.</span>Chicoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16504144663440678542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265566975813453385.post-65109818142801177402014-07-05T17:17:00.001-07:002014-07-05T17:17:28.823-07:00A Post at Last<span style="font-size: large;"> Well, I haven't been doing well at regular posting lately. Now that the play is done, I've been spending a lot of time mulling over the question of `what next?' (As in, so... what direction should my <i>entire life</i> take now that I suddenly have free time again? Yeah, I know. I don't even know what's going to happen tomorrow. Or an hour from now<i>.</i> I know what I <i>think</i> is going to happen (dinner) but psychic I ain't.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I didn't want to leave everyone believing I dropped off the face of the earth, so here I am, still alive, and coming to the realization that I don't actually <i>have</i> to know what's going to happen next year, or even next month. That I leave to God, since he actually <i>can</i> see the future. All I have to do (as Terry Pratchett says in `Night Watch') is the job in front of me. </span><br />
<br />Chicoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16504144663440678542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265566975813453385.post-64433925353951294692014-06-11T13:20:00.002-07:002014-06-11T13:20:22.999-07:00Taken Care Of<span style="font-size: large;">Well I just had an interesting adventure. While I was driving home through Frederick today, the van stalled out on me. It's the first time I've been in that situation. So there I was, someone honking to show that the light was green and me trying to wave them past and wondering how in the world I'd get out of the middle of the road. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Just then a very kind Christian lady pulled up beside me and asked if I needed help. I said yes, absolutely, I would love help, so she zipped into the car repair shop that was beside me on the same side of the street (yeah, I'm not the most observant when I'm panicking) and got some of the guys to come push me into their parking lot.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I have no idea who the lady was who helped me (I didn't think to ask her name) but I am very grateful to her and the guys at the car repair- and most of all thankful to God. I mean, what are the odds of breaking down beside a repair shop instead of the middle of a three lane highway? It is really nice to know He is looking out for me.</span><br />
<br />Chicoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16504144663440678542noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3265566975813453385.post-31194849164558987902014-05-26T08:36:00.004-07:002014-05-26T08:36:36.553-07:00Aftermath<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3_EZORGmNJk4psks7oHUZzV-3Bp7mc01baAjmbgWSgCO_SdNhFN-f_wewYtaIWvQeaWWCX-xG9BW9ZWRbl39vQqd2bQTjs20Qps21lZ-XWg1ZkfHS-Z1RkzuQl2JdU0sP6BlYfwaPhs_B/s1600/At+the+Master%27s+Feet+Grace+Justin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3_EZORGmNJk4psks7oHUZzV-3Bp7mc01baAjmbgWSgCO_SdNhFN-f_wewYtaIWvQeaWWCX-xG9BW9ZWRbl39vQqd2bQTjs20Qps21lZ-XWg1ZkfHS-Z1RkzuQl2JdU0sP6BlYfwaPhs_B/s1600/At+the+Master's+Feet+Grace+Justin.JPG" height="320" width="225" /></a></div>
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Me and my brother, Justin, backstage in costume as Septimus and Cornelia, a Roman Centurion and his wife.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The play is over. Our final performance was last Friday. As always, it was a journey of self-discovery. <i>I</i> discovered that I'm allergic to mascara. Since I don't generally wear makeup it wasn't that heartbreaking of a discovery. I <i>did</i> spend a couple days looking like a football player -only with red rash lines under my eyes instead of black paint.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This was definitely the biggest, most intense play I've ever been involved in. My previous acting experience was backyard plays with my brothers and a few friends. Practices happened whenever we could get together, and performance dates were decided once we had things pretty much down. Adjusting to a strict schedule and a cast of more than five people was a bit of a culture shock. We were actually interviewed by the <i>Frederick News Post</i>. (Okay, I wasn't personally interviewed and if you look up the article you won't find my name anywhere. But still. A newspaper article. We're practically famous!) </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The most amazing thing is how God brought just the right people in to help- and how we all knew that we had been called to this. We never would have reached the performance without that because -trust me- everything that could possibly go wrong did. We had people dealing with sickness, we had schedule conflicts and props that had to be built at the last moment. I think our director lost about a month's worth of sleep. Just about everyone was discouraged at one point or another by how massive the task was, and how inadequate we were. I know God was with us, because I still can't figure out how we pulled it off. We were completely at the end of our abilities and God just said `here, let Me handle it.' </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">And now I want to sleep for a week.</span><br />
<br />Chicoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16504144663440678542noreply@blogger.com2