Pale, Floppy Eared Carrot-Munchers
Posted by Andrea Lake on Friday, March 1, 2013
Under: Regular
This week has been full of ups and downs...
One of my uncles died last month and I met up with his closest family (and some of mine too as it happens) at the funeral earlier today. It was interesting to see their faces as they reiterated that they would see each other again and while I can understand why some people need religion: for many it's a crutch, something watching over us keeping us on the 'right path' or the fantasy story of 'happily in the ever after' - so that life has some meaning. Looking around the church today though, I saw my uncle's eternal legacy; the genetics of his family as his granddaughters sang together; their united faith in their creator binding them together.
As a born again atheist, I don't believe in anything. I've told my son that at my funeral I want him to dress as the Grim Reaper and stand in the corner saying nothing, only glaring and pointing at older family members. When I told my cousins of this plan, they laughed at my irreverence, but said it sounded like fun and asked if we could do it now. Well, while I have consigned myself to death at some point in the future, I don't think I'm quite prepared for the crematorium just yet - not while I'm breathing anyway.
My family had provided a book outside the church for guests to sign, asking for people to add their favourite memories. How can you choose just one memory of someone who had a massive impact on your life? I just wrote 'So many memories, not enough pages'.
On the upside, I had one interview this week for uni. It is difficult to contemplate anyone else wanting something so badly, preparing for it zealously, and then being so nervous that they find it hard to string a sentence together. Yep! That's me! But it was interesting meeting other students already enrolled on the course and some of the people who showed up for interview were clearly passionate about what they wanted to do as well.
In half an hour, how can you explain adequately how some of the books you have read have literally changed your life? I was struggling with depression the first time I read Acheron by Sherrilyn Kenyon and the story of the Atlantean God, together with the Author's Notes at the beginning of the book helped me to come to grips with some of my own experiences and give me some direction.
Acheron is helpless as a child; he has few options as a slave; but as an omniscient being he can see almost everyone's potential. The only futures he cannot see clearly are those of the people closest to him, and his own. I have learned several things from Acheron, but the most obvious is, that no matter how powerful you are or aren't, some things are beyond your control and sometimes things need to go wrong in order for them to go right. It's a matter of time. Not so much a problem when you're an Atlantean God, I suppose; a little more problematic for your common garden atheist.
I never even mentioned Lesley Pearse's Georgia. I cried the first time I read this book, and again the second and third time... I actually wore the covers out on my first copy. My second copy went missing... It's the story of 'The Talisman' all over again. The story is tragic and your heart cannot help but feel anguish for the plight of the young mixed-race girl who is raped by her drunk and insensible foster father. She stabs him and runs away, forced to make a new life for herself. Georgia, the title heroine of the book, copes fabulously with many of the problems and soon makes friends. Still, like Acheron, she doesn't have an easy time of it.
'Til next time! Oh and if someone can tell me the deal about the 1st March and 'white rabbits' that would be great! The only pale, floppy eared carrot-muncher I know anything about is my dog!
One of my uncles died last month and I met up with his closest family (and some of mine too as it happens) at the funeral earlier today. It was interesting to see their faces as they reiterated that they would see each other again and while I can understand why some people need religion: for many it's a crutch, something watching over us keeping us on the 'right path' or the fantasy story of 'happily in the ever after' - so that life has some meaning. Looking around the church today though, I saw my uncle's eternal legacy; the genetics of his family as his granddaughters sang together; their united faith in their creator binding them together.
As a born again atheist, I don't believe in anything. I've told my son that at my funeral I want him to dress as the Grim Reaper and stand in the corner saying nothing, only glaring and pointing at older family members. When I told my cousins of this plan, they laughed at my irreverence, but said it sounded like fun and asked if we could do it now. Well, while I have consigned myself to death at some point in the future, I don't think I'm quite prepared for the crematorium just yet - not while I'm breathing anyway.
My family had provided a book outside the church for guests to sign, asking for people to add their favourite memories. How can you choose just one memory of someone who had a massive impact on your life? I just wrote 'So many memories, not enough pages'.
On the upside, I had one interview this week for uni. It is difficult to contemplate anyone else wanting something so badly, preparing for it zealously, and then being so nervous that they find it hard to string a sentence together. Yep! That's me! But it was interesting meeting other students already enrolled on the course and some of the people who showed up for interview were clearly passionate about what they wanted to do as well.
In half an hour, how can you explain adequately how some of the books you have read have literally changed your life? I was struggling with depression the first time I read Acheron by Sherrilyn Kenyon and the story of the Atlantean God, together with the Author's Notes at the beginning of the book helped me to come to grips with some of my own experiences and give me some direction.
Acheron is helpless as a child; he has few options as a slave; but as an omniscient being he can see almost everyone's potential. The only futures he cannot see clearly are those of the people closest to him, and his own. I have learned several things from Acheron, but the most obvious is, that no matter how powerful you are or aren't, some things are beyond your control and sometimes things need to go wrong in order for them to go right. It's a matter of time. Not so much a problem when you're an Atlantean God, I suppose; a little more problematic for your common garden atheist.
I never even mentioned Lesley Pearse's Georgia. I cried the first time I read this book, and again the second and third time... I actually wore the covers out on my first copy. My second copy went missing... It's the story of 'The Talisman' all over again. The story is tragic and your heart cannot help but feel anguish for the plight of the young mixed-race girl who is raped by her drunk and insensible foster father. She stabs him and runs away, forced to make a new life for herself. Georgia, the title heroine of the book, copes fabulously with many of the problems and soon makes friends. Still, like Acheron, she doesn't have an easy time of it.
'Til next time! Oh and if someone can tell me the deal about the 1st March and 'white rabbits' that would be great! The only pale, floppy eared carrot-muncher I know anything about is my dog!
In : Regular