Getting the Power Up

The scene is this: it’s the day before Thanksgiving, 2008. A Wednesday, naturally. Over the four days prior to this particularly dreadful day, my heart and mind had been trampled by a vast array of assorted traumatic events and emotions: having potentially lost one of the most important people in my life, dealing with new breeds of stress at work, trying to decide whether to stay in grad school or not, several family issues cropping up here and there. And in dealing with this, I found sleep impossible. So Tuesday night I took my standard three over-the-counter sleeping pills. Long story short, by the next night I no longer trusted myself to be alone. So a benevolent friend invited me on a short road trip the next night and my immediate mental reaction was “Of course I’ll go. That increases my chances of being hit by a large truck.” Sharp as she is, friend made me take one of her kids in the car with me. Good call.

Grateful for the change of scenery and happy to see this friend’s sister for the first time in ages, I was already feeling a tiny bit better by the time we got to Columbus. I hauled my overnight bag into the guest bedroom and friend and I collapsed across the bed while her two kids piled on top of us. The oldest (7), snuggled up next to me as I stared at the ceiling fighting back tears. He looked at me, took a deep breath and said, quite randomly:

“Hey, Leslie, you know how when you’re playing a video game the first level is really really easy? Then the next level is still easy, but not as easy as the first one? Then the next one is a little bit harder than the second one? And then the next and the nextandthenextandthenext….”

“Yes, Sean, I know…”

“Well, they do that on purpose, don’t they?  They make the first level really easy so you’re ready to do the second level, then the second level is a little harder so that you can handle the third level. So each level is just like practice for the next level. So if you can get through this level, you know you’re ready for the next one.”

Then he got up and ran into the kitchen.

I remained there for quite some time after my friend, too, departed for the kitchen, ceiling-staring and thinking about what Sean had said. Either he’s very intuitive and perceptive or totally random, or I’m reading way too much into what he said. Regardless, I stayed still, trying to imagine what level could possibly be worse than this, and the last of the tears I had for that situation fell from my cheek onto the nondescript, guest-bed comforter. Then I wiped my eyes and stood up, shook it off, and followed the crowd into the kitchen.

I beat this level, but not without sustaining some pretty major damage. But that’s okay. I’m taking time to heal, and when I’m powered up again, I’ll get back in the game. Significant health already restored, prognosis promising. And as much I hoped that week would be the hardest level I’ll have to get through before beating the game, I keep in mind now that it’s just practice for the greater challenges that lie ahead.

The Golden Compass

Personally, I have not read any of Pullman’s books, but I’m seriously considering it after seeing the movie. I’m stoked that kids are into these books, which from what I’ve heard, seem to be the best follow-up to the Harry Potter craze to date.

So why the big controversy? Well, it seems that authoritative groups get a little prickly about their authority being challenged. Where’s the best place to start when trying to affect widespread change? At the bottom. In this case, with the children. What the chur. . . er, I mean, Magisterium is trying to accomplish in this case is to detach children from that which gives them knowledge of the world; in other words, that which gives them the ability to think for themselves and question convention. The goal of the Magisterium is, after all, not only to rule their world, but to rule all worlds outside their own as well. Does any of this sound familiar? And perhaps just a tad biting? At one point near the beginning of the movie, a member of the Magisterium even says “… if we don’t stop this, there will always be freethinkers challenging our authority.”

Which, besides the need to fix that kid’s teeth, is pretty much the only thing that bothered me about the movie. The religious and socio-political overtones are *so* obvious that it almost feels like an insult to the over-twenty crowd. However, that’s not the crowd to which the books or movie were marketed. Which means that the kids in the theater today will someday watch this movie again as (hopefully freethinking) adults and say “Ooooh, I get it now.”

So, there’s a church-like organization in the film which represents the “bad guys.” This is why right-wing groups are in hysterics. The “don’t say anything bad about my religion/political party/pagan cult and don’t say anything good about anyone else’s” mentality is getting a little old. And if we’re being honest, the only reason these people are so upset by the depiction of the church in this film is because it’s so damn accurate.

What’s the goal of any religion? To spread it. To convert others. To take that religion and make it accepted and taught everywhere, not just in our own backyards, but every country, every continent, everywhere in the world. (Hmm, circular reference, much?) What Pullman does is expose to his audience – in this case, a very specific audience with the potential to affect real change in the world – some of the reasons why this might not always be the best thing to do.  And I, for one, applaud him for it.

I was never taught to question authority, but as I grew older I realized that those in charge were rarely the ones who cared about those being ruled over. At our most basic level, humans exist for one purpose: to promote our individual survival. Those with power have always, and will always, do whatever they can to prevent those without it from challenging the status quo. This will continue, until we learn to question, to challenge, and to demand the best for ourselves. We have become a species of sheep, content to follow and obey.

I only hope that a generation of shepherded parents don’t belittle their children into dismissing the message of these books & films. I hope that, armed with the knowledge that such a choice exists, future generations affect real change in the world around us. And what will happen if parents endeavor to raise freethinking children? True, a good proportion of those children will ultimately decide to adhere to commonly held statutes and conventions. And some will not. But guess what? They will all have made that decision on their own. And that is what will take us from sheep to shepherds.

The Greatest Promise Anyone Has Ever Made to Me

From Jenn: “I promise, I will never leave you alone with my children.”

I don’t know if this is more for my benefit or theirs, but either way, I like this idea, and I will hold you to it, lady!

I thought I’d seen it all. . .

This happened last week, but it’s still funny.

 Thursday night, I was babysitting my godchildren Sean (5) and Ian (2).  I got them into their little jammies, changed Ian’s diaper, and put them to bed at the usual time, around 9:00.  Around 10:30, Sean came downstairs where I was working on the computer.  Conversation:

Sean: “Les-a-lie, I have to tell you something.”

Me: “Okay, what’s up?”

Sean: “Um, Ian peed on the floor.”

Me: *blink, blink*  “I just changed his diaper!”

Sean: “He took it off.  Can I have some cereal?”

Sure enough, upon investigation, I discovered Ian, naked from the waist down, standing in his crib with a puddle on the hardwood floor below. 

I still don’t think this beats the time my nephew Addam pooped on the floor in Wal-Mart.