State of the Planet

I was definitely looking forward to reading this poem because I love nature and the different events of nature and all the many colors within nature. And even though I didn't fully understand everything about this poem, it was really beautiful at times. Some lines I really liked were "It turns out they are electricity having sex in an infinite variety of permutations, Plato's yearning halves of a severed being multiplied in all the ways that all the shapes on earth are multiple, complex." I'm not so sure what all of this means and it wasn't so "beautiful", I guess you could say, but I just liked the words he used to define what it is exactly what he's talking about. (I'm assuming I'll be learning more about it in class tomorrow.) A line that I did find beautiful was "The great trees in that forest house ten thousands of kinds of beetle, reptiles no human eyes has ever seen changing color on the hot, green, hardly changing leaves whenever a faint breeze stirs them." When reading this particular line, I imagined enormous trees with the most interesting and unreal kinds of insects and reptiles that can only be imagined. Another line I enjoyed was, "But soon enough we'd have fashioned sexy little earrings from the feathers, highlighted out cheekbones by rubbings from the rock, and made a spear from the sinewey wood of the tree." I liked this because it made me realize something; we take inanimate objects such as a rock and make them beneficial to our lives. This makes me wonder why and who thought to do this? Why take something so meaningless and make it something used for beauty? This is probably the first nature poem I have ever read that has made me question nature.

I like that in this poem a lot of things are open for interpretation, like the line I just talked about. It leaves room for the mind to wander and imagine new things. I find that fun and consuming of my thoughts. I'm very excited to unfold more about this poem in class tomorrow.

AFI and "The Boys Next Door"

The reading of the play definitely informed me for my experience at AFI and vice versa. It was kind of funny because I would catch myself comparing the people I met to the characters in the play. For example, I pictured our guide (I forgot her name) as Jack. I wondered if she was becoming burnt out or if she still found it fulfilling in helping the mentally handicapped. When it was time to mingle with the clients I sat with a guy named Wilbur. He was probably in his early 60's with glasses. He didn't seem to be mentally retarded, but he was different. He reminded me a lot of Arnold in the story. J.B reminded me of Lucien. You couldn't really understand J.B. when he spoke, but I could tell he had a sweet spirit about him just like Lucien. Jason reminded me most of Norman. Mostly because he had a girlfriend and their personalities seem to sort of fit and he was very sweet to ladies (including myself ha ha). Lastly, there was Skip. He was mostly like Barry. No one informed me, but I figured out he was schizophrenic. I sat by him during our reading time and I noticed he kept talking to himself. I didn't figure it out until he laughed at something he seemed to "hear" from someone else that he was schizophrenic. I had never met a schizophrenic before, but I couldn't stop watching him and just "study" him I guess. I found it fascinating really. Going to AFI almost jump started my heart for a love for these people. They all seem to be so happy considering their circumstances. Thinking back on it now, my heart just goes out to them and I want to go back if only to talk with them some more. All in all, I want to thank you Professor Corrigan for taking us here. It's opened my eyes and my heart and I could only ask to hopefully go back one day.

"The Spirit of God Hovered"

I really enjoyed reading this. Mainly because it challenged me and has made me think about something I have never thought about. The spirituality of the disabled. It’s like I know about them and that they’re “different”, but I’ve never taken the time to really ponder on how they feel about God or their part in the church or if they even know any better? I think it’s so hard to completely understand a disabled person because a lot of the times they can’t completely understand themselves. So how are they to understand the things of the Bible and what Jesus teaches us how to be? A disabled person can’t always live their life according to God’s plan because how are they supposed to know what that plan is if they can’t even always think rationally? Should they be treated as adults with the minds of children or of adults? I guess it depends on the type of disability, but still. I’ve been called to teach, but not ESE. Or at least not yet. Reading this, however, has made me more aware and has given me a desire in my heart to want to help and be helped by the mentally handicapped. Reading this has definitely made me aware of the fact there is NO ONE helping the mentally handicapped or letting them help others within the church. It’s like we see them as this incurable disease, when in fact they could be the very antidote we need. It’s so hard in a world full of looking, acting, and just being perfect that anything different form that is looked over, including in the church. It’s sad really. I really like what the community of L’Arche has done and what Mike Rakes attempted to do but couldn’t. This makes me wonder why we’re so selfish? Why doesn’t our heart reach out for families like Dr. Fettke? Or maybe it does but we’re just too lazy or have other things to do to be able to do something about it? I, for one, want to make a conscious effort to bless and be blessed by these interesting people. I think they have such a completely different view of life that by getting to know them and talk with them as best as I can will be able to help me in my own life and to hopefully pass that on to others.

The Boys Next Door-Act II

After the activity we did last class, I got into this play so much more. I guess actually having to portray the characters kind of made it come alive for me and more real. So when I went into reading the second act I was more engaged and actually played out the characters in my head, rather than just reading it. I actually laughed a lot in this act. I think once you (Mr. Corrigan) said it was okay to laugh at what the characters said and did I was just cracking up at them. I even teared up at part when Barry’s dad hit him. That was so sad to me and I couldn’t help but feel his pain. Not because my dad hit me, but because I was just so into the character. I really enjoyed the part where Lucien was made into this sophisticated man expressing how he felt as a mentally handicapped person. It was like he was trapped in this body with no way out. If you think about us, a lot of us feel this way too. We feel trapped sometimes with no way out. We try to do things on our own, but they don’t seem to make sense or come out right. I think that’s where God comes in and can redefine us and make us new to where we realize we’re trapped and it isn’t who we truly are. Only through Him can we be who we are meant to be. So my opinion of this play has definitely changed from my first reading of Act I. I honestly think if it wasn’t for the activity and you (Mr. Corrigan) giving us notes and explaining the play better I wouldn’t have really gotten into this play and enjoyed it like I did. So thanks for that. I will probably read this play again as a matter of a fact.

The Boys Next Door-Act I

Well, I can say that I definitely called it from the beginning that the boys were mentally handicapped. They were definitely different and that was the only thing that made sense to me. It's kind of hard to remember which character is which so I have to keep going back and reminding myself who's who. It's still taken me a bit to get into this play too. I'm still not fully consumed in it yet, but I'm hoping it'll start getting a little more interesting. Or maybe more clear. It's really just not clear as to where this story is going or what the exact point of it is, but i'm still being open minded about it. One thing I depicted from the story is how it's funny that even though they're mentally handicapped they're not so different from "normal" people. They have worries, wants, love, anger, and happiness. The big difference, I noticed, is their conversations and every day lives. Each character is different in their understanding of things, but their conversations are so simple. Sometimes not even making sense, but they all get along and understand each other. It's like they're living in their own little world. And even though their conversation is so simple, their lifestyle is so difficult. They don't know what it's like to be on their own and to really work for something they want or to get a job or start a family. Their trials in life seem so small compared to most, but I would still never wish to be like that no matter how little their disappointments in life are. I'll admit, I'm still not sure what it is exactly I'm supposed to get out of this, but I've only read half of the play so I'm looking forward to finishing it.