Welcome Back!

Welcome back to the exhaustion and thrill of being in school! (this is me talking to me.) It has been a crazy semester and it is only half over! My boss had a stroke about a month or so ago and it has been getting busier at work and school ever since. He is doing much better now, but there has been many changes since then and everyone in our group is still getting settled in. Also, I am in Arabic II and I think my professor is trying to guarantee that I do not get enough sleep...maybe I'm paranoid but I blame it on the exhaustion. :) All in all though, I really enjoyed this first 8 weeks as far as the reading goes. I have gotten to read some great books that I might not have come across otherwise. Rag and Bone for instance, superb! And had I heard of it before 8 weeks ago? Nope, but I am glad I read it, along with the many others in this 8 week class. It has been crazy busy and I haven't been the bes about submitting everything timely, but this is definitely going to be one of my favorite classes throughout my career as a Grad Student. Thanks Dr. Hoch for always keeping things interesting and providing plenty of thought provoking material and questions. :) Good luck to you all as you continue! :)

Far from stereotypical...

Michael Nava's Rag and Bone was an amazing story that kept me stuck to the book the whole time. I was so eager for the next page and the next chapter, etc. that I didn't even stop to have lunch when I read this. It was really eye-opening to the social issues of how we see others and how we see ourselves. This really put a spot light on how we try to fit people into categories, when there are no accurate categories. Sexuality, Career, Age, Gender, Culture, History and so many other factors define who we are, but none of these are even remotely close to encompassing all of someone. I love how Nava really drives this point home along with looking back at ourselves to see where we are judging people in the same ways we are being judged. It is an amazing story of family, friends, and acceptance. It also speaks up for the awareness of and sympathy for those with AIDS. I love how he uses such a powerful story as a platform for equality and support.

Misunderstandings...

Quite the understatement for Toni Morrison's Paradise. This is such a deep story revealing a group of women who were each so completely and utterly misunderstood that it is a tragedy. The feelings, emotions, and vivid description in this story keep you reading for more, but lets you feel so much of what the story truly holds. It really ties it to those of us who live and have grown up in Oklahoma. Many of us remember even up into the 1980's how blantantly race and gender have been such a weighted issue holding back the liberation and individuality of so many. It was really eerie to hear about all of this happening in Oklahoma. Quite a mesmerizing story that delves into some seriously deep issues of humanity.

NOT 90210

Less than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis is so much more than Beverly Hills 90210 ever thought of being, as are all books when compared to movies/tv. This brings you to the darkest part of Los Angeles into a world of chaos that has become a reality for too many of our youth today. This is good as a wake-up call/reality check for all of those in denial, but it also just made me sad for all the new challenges that each younger generation must face. It is overwhelming.

I AM WOMAN!

So, I had a sweatshirt growing up with this written on the front right underneath a picture of Lucy from Peanuts...but even more appropriately I should have had a picture of Erica Jong. This book was enthralling. It was exciting. It was LIBERATING! And it was hilarious! Some parts were really deep, and the overall message was amazing. It basically says that a woman does not need to be defined by her children, husband, family, or lack thereof. She is defined only by herself and she should strive to accept herself. Not who she wants to be, or who she wants others to think she is, but just the truest form of her, cellulite and all. :) This made me happy to see such a "come to grips with being YOU" novel, instead of just focusing on the rest of the world and how you are viewed by everyone else. I think this is a great identity finder for young women. It could help them realize that they can dream big and in no particular order...i.e. you don't have to wait to get married before you buy your dream house, you don't have to wait until you have kids before you go to Disneyland, etc.

What's in a name...

So I am reading along in The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon, and the names are amazing. First of all, the main character's name is Oedipa Maas. Oedipa is a very unique name, and Maas...more...? What is really interesting is her husband who is trying to avoid a certain look where he would be stereotypical to the point that he is overly sensitive, very overly sensitive...but we call him Mucho, which makes me think of Macho - which he is not. Plus the fact that his name is Mucho Maas...in my most childish understanding of Spanish, his name means "lots more". I know this isn't literal, and that his real name is Wendell Maas, but still this is quite entertaining. And just in case there is anyone out there who is not yet intrigued, in walks the shrink named....wait for it...Dr. Hilarius.

Glutton for Punishment

This is the term that I have been using to describe myself as of late. I'm not quite sure if it is just the fact that I'm starting my Master's Degree (9 hours of graduate courses + 4 hours of an undergrad language course = no sleeping in for 16 weeks...) and still working 40+ hours/week at my job, or whether it is just a recurring theme of my life as I am the chronic volunteer. I love to help people, especially when they are celebrating milestones in their lives...this could be why I went to/participated in over a dozen weddings/wedding showers/baby showers within the span of less than 3 months. Not to say that I didn't enjoy every minute of it, but this is one of the main contributors to my consistently "spreading myself too thin". On the other hand, I do much better when I'm busy. If I don't have enough to juggle, I seem to lose my balance and drop the ball. So, here is to finding my rhythm and keeping a steady pace... :)

I have been reading Jack Kerouac's On the Road and it is certainly not the example of a steady pace, but more of a sparatic pace and sparatic direction to add up to continuous adventure. This is one crazy, fun story full of exciting experiences, all sorts of people, and more hitchhiking than I've ever dreamed of. Funny how traveling used to be about the trip and now it is just about "making good time". There is definitely something to be said for taking in the scenic routes rather than flying down the road at 80 mph. Ahhhh, the good old days...

OMG I have a blog!!

So, I thought this day would never come, but here it is...I HAVE MY OWN BLOG! This is a new concept to me as I notice people have a harder time listening as we crampack our lives with more and more to fill in the little gaps of space (otherwise known as "resting periods"). With all that in mind, I wondered who might take the time to read my thoughts. I guess we'll see...

I have been reading Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison and it is astounding in how Ellison helps you realize how we are so good at not seeing people. We see what we want to see or what we need to see or what we don't like about ourselves even, but never truly the whole and truthful person standing before us. It is devastating to come to grips with our blindness, but at least the harshness of this new found light might help us open our eyes even if we are still squinting...

Talk to you soon...