By the time I started paying attention to Michael Jackson, his persona was already beginning to overshadow his musical achievements.I was in elementary school in the late ‘80s, when he was the butt of many a brilliant playground joke about plastic surgery or homosexuality.He had released Bad by that time, and his recent videos were all over MTV and VH1.I thought the songs and videos were good enough, but somehow, none of them ever really got me.I was more familiar with Weird Al Yankovic’s “Fat,” a parody of Bad, than I was with the original.I guess the turning point was the Smooth Criminal video – an extended 1930s-gangster-speakeasy-sci-fi fantasy set to music, in the tradition of the cinematic Thriller video.Even that one went over my head the first few times, but at some point, it definitely clicked.
I started looking forward to seeing the video, and I actually got excited about the others, despite having been watching them for months.I dug up the cassette copy of Thriller that my parents had bought when it was popular (a testament to Michael’s universal appeal!).Soon enough, I went to Target and bought my own cassette tape of Bad.I traded my favorite pair of sunglasses to one of my good friends in exchange for a jacket that looked like the one Michael wore in the Thriller video.I started imitating his dance moves – mostly for laughs, but they were fun to try (I was good enough at dancing like him that I would get requests from friends).As it turned out, the Smooth Criminal video was only a small segment of a movie called Moonwalker, in which Michael indulged in his own mythical image through music videos, a montage of his career, and various short films featuring live action mixed with cartoon props, claymation, and visual effects.I had a video about his life story, but even with James Earl Jones narrating, it paled in comparison to Moonwalker.At one point, I tried to read Moonwalk, his autobiography.I don’t remember finishing it.The transcendent, super-human Michael Jackson was a lot more fun than the real one.
A few years later, when the Black Or White video premiered on Fox, I watched, along with all the other fans, as Michael gave us three or four minutes of joyous globe-trotting and cross-cultural dancing to the catchy single, followed by four or five minutes of him dancing in a back alley with no music, grabbing himself, and vandalizing the scene.Of course, everyone threw a fit the next day, he apologized, and the edited first half of the video became the hit we all expected.
Then the bomb dropped.Michael was accused of being a child molester.Unfortunately, it wasn’t just another standard tabloid story.We all wanted him to be innocent, but nothing else he’d done up to that point gave us much reason to think he was.
He was eventually cleared, but it was never the same after that.He married Lisa Marie Presley, kissed her on the MTV Video Music Awards, and then they divorced about a year later.Some of his lyrics generated controversy.He got more plastic surgery.He married again and had some children.He made some more music.People made child molester jokes all the while.
At one point when I was in college (and had lost track of what he had been up to), he began what appeared to be a comeback.By that point, I think people were ready to put aside some of the ridicule and celebrate his magic as a performer once again.A new album and some live appearances made it look like he might have a chance of salvaging his reputation, at least to some extent.However, he soon made the news again by dangling his infant son from a balcony while cameras were rolling.Not long after that, he was charged once again with molesting a child.Everything fans had been trying to forget (for an entire decade) resurfaced, and it was hard not to feel like it was really over this time.Sad as it was, it was also hard to care.
He treated the court appearances like publicity stunts, and he looked even worse than he had before.Eventually, it came to light that he was in serious financial trouble.Neverland Ranch (his theme park) closed, and he auctioned off much of his memorabilia.Some special edition re-releases of his albums helped shift the focus once again, but it was hard to revisit his prime when the current reality was what it was.
He recently celebrated his 50th birthday by watching cartoons with his children, apparently still trying to reclaim the childhood he said he never had.He was on the eve of another tour when he died last week.I imagine that’s the way he wanted it.Had he toured again, everyone would have said that the performances were great, but not like they used to be.For a man who used his superstardom to insulate himself from his pain and loneliness, that probably would have seemed even more unbearable than dying suddenly and unexpectedly at 50 years old.
When I heard the news, I was not only surprised that he was no longer alive, but also that I was actually very moved by it.Somewhere in the back of my mind, I guess I still had to admit that it was like losing an old friend.I’m guessing a lot of people felt that way, though I’m sure none of us had a clue.That was the source of his confusion, and it’s what kept him larger than life in our eyes.
"In the tunnel where I was raped, a tunnel that was once an underground entry to an amphitheater, a place where actors burst forth from underneath the seats of a crowd, a girl had been murdered and dismembered. I was told this story by the police. In comparison, they said, I was lucky."
It is with this sentence that Alice Sebold begins to tell the true story of her sexual assault as a freshman on the Syracuse University campus. Sebold writes frankly about her rape and beating, the affect it had on her friendships, family members, and relationships, her chance encounter with her rapist less than a year later, and how it led to his subsequent trial and prosecution.
Sebold unfolds her story with a candid bluntness, hiding nothing. She chronicles her fading friendships, the involvement of her bewildering parents, and, most importantly, her own experiences dealing with the anger, grief, and confusion she felt about her traumatic experience. The book is sad and scary but Sebold obviously understands the importance of opening her rape experience to the world by telling her story, and I'm sure her book will help comfort and heal other rape victims and their loved ones while simultaneously shedding light on the unfair indignities that occur to victims after a rape or assault.
When 9-year-old Bruno's dad receives an important promotion at work, his family moves to "Out With". Bruno does not enjoy his strange new home and is often bored. Through his window he watches the tall, imposing fence in the distance, behind which are many individuals oddly wearing pajamas. Bruno understands that this place has something to do with his father's new and very important job. Bruno also knows he is absolutely forbidden to go near it! Being an explorer at heart, Bruno finally decides to disobey his parent's specific instructions and explore the area around his house. As he follows the fence farther and farther from his house, Bruno soon stumbles upon a boy wearing the same oddly striped pajamas sitting on the other side of the fence, and soon the boys strike up an unusual friendship.
This young adult novel is sadly compelling and completely controversial. The reviews on Goodreads are passionate, and many of this book's readers express strong emotions- disgust, anger, dismay- about the story. Told through the perspective of an immature 9-year-old in 1940's Germany, I think the book effectively contrasts the horrors of war with the innocence of children. People might not like it, but The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a book worth reading. It will harshly illustrate the effects of war- all war. Hopefully it will disgust, dismay, and anger you... but for the right reasons and not because somebody dared to bring a realistic (though fictional) portrayal of what is possible during wartime. (This book is written for children, but be warned that you might want to read it yourself before you let your child read it. You will want to talk with them about it when they've finished!)
The summer air is crisp and clean The sun beats down hot and mean The rippling pool beckons and calls But instead I will shovel, bag, and haul!
(The following was written for our church publication.)
I entered the church building this morning and the foyer, as usual, was filled with adults comfortably sipping their coffee and nibbling on donuts, while happily chatting with one another. Darting between their legs, children would run and jump, laughing and teasing one another. One child in particular stood out to me this morning. Bright-eyed Daniel with his ever-ready smile was standing near the coffee counter with his mother clutching two Spirit catchers, one in each rounded little fist.
"I recognize those!" I commented as I passed near the 6-year-old as he happily twirled the Spirit wands in the empty air in front of him.
In response, Daniel's mother told me how much Daniel had loved Vacation Bible School the week before, and he was hoping that when they left for church this morning, they were coming for another day of VBS.
Later, during the church service, an adorable blond boy sitting two rows ahead of me peeked through the heads between us and waved a shy hand at me. I waved back. Five minutes later a tap on my shoulder and a whisper in my ear informed me that somebody was trying to get my attention. Ethan, the same blond kiddo, was waving again. I waved back. A couple of minutes later he sneaked another peek and wiggled his hand in my direction and again I waved back.
The Vacation Bible School theme this year was "Catch the Spirit!" The award winning curriculum published by Faith and Life Resources gave our children, ages 4-12, the opportunity to learn about the Holy Spirit and all the ways He is at work in the world and in their lives. Children in assigned classes learned about the particular country their class "adopted" and spent their days learning and working with their dedicated teachers. Each day, the children would begin VBS by worshipping together, singing songs like "Catch the Spirit", "How Do You Know (When the Spirit's Here)" and "You Gotta Sing When the Spirit Says Sing". They would watch as talented actors would illustrate the Spirit's intervention in our lives.
After spending valuable time with their teachers discussing such things as the Spirit-inspired creation of the church and strategies for speaking up about Jesus, the children would visit various sites in and around the church building. At these sites, they explored the church as a place for creating (making beautiful and symbolic art), for feasting and fellowship (preparing food and eating together), and for gathering and healing. They also enjoyed more active participation (playing games from other countries and moving to music), sharing and singing, and stretching (symbolizing moving beyond our boundaries to reach out to everyone). Children learned about the country of Thailand, and through their offerings supported mission workers there. A total of $169.12 was collected during the five days of Vacation Bible School!
As director of Vacation Bible School, my primary concern was creating an environment full of significant experiences the children would remember. I hoped the children would love their time at VBS, and so I was thrilled to hear what they had to say about their experiences. Alyssa, age 7, said that her favorite thing about Vacation Bible School was "learning about Thailand" as she pointed to the offering poster. Logan, age 6, said his favorite part was "that we got to make stuff," while Alexis, age 6 1/2, said "I learned about making candy shishkabobs and singing and decorating a basket and I learned about learning languages." Brian summed it up best when he said his favorite thing about Vacation Bible School was "learning about God!" But the kids aren't the only ones who learn at VBS. Michelle Musselman, drama coordinator, site assistant, snack helper, and coin machine repairperson said that during Vacation Bible School she learned (just like the kids) "that the Holy Spirit knows your phone number!"
What I didn't realize as director of Vacation Bible School was how impacted I would be by the experience. Walking into church on Sunday to witness happy, familiar children still swirling their Spirit catchers and waving to me filled me with a joy that only comes from a shared experience with children. It's the relationships with the Daniels and Ethans that will last long after the Vacation Bible School supplies have been turned in and the photographs filed away- the relationship with those kids and with the Holy Spirit.
Did you wake up this morning with a little extra spring in your step? a smile that just wouldn't go away? Were you humming under your breath? Well, if that's the case, you're not alone! According to Cliff Arnall, psychologist and former tutor at Cardiff University, June 20 is the happiest day of the year! Taking into account factors such as outdoor activity, positive childhood memories, and socializing with friends and neighbors, Arnall created a formula for determining the happiest day of the year and today is that day! So, get out there and enjoy it! The birds are singing, the lawns getting mowed, and somewhere there is an ice cream cone waiting...
Julia Costell's professional ballet dancing dreams are destroyed when her desperate struggle with an eating disorder comes to light. Her dancing aspirations shattered, Julia returns to her former life- living with her parents and working as a guidance counselor at the high school she once attended. Harrington High School is a magnet school for gifted students and Julia quickly begins to suspect that a drug problem is prevalent among the talented students. As she attempts to address her concerns, a culture of denial forcefully emerges and Julia realizes that she will have to fight against the secrecy of the administration, teachers, and parents to save her students. Meanwhile, one special student- a foster child with a strong musical gift- begins to hope for a future with a real family and turns to Julia for support. In her special relationship with this student and her fight to save all the students at Harrington High, Julia begins to find a new purpose for her life.
Drenched In Light was a different sort of story than most I have read. It brought three very distinctive situations together into one book- the professional dance life, the demands of high school guidance counseling (especially as it relates to drug use), and the struggles people with an eating disorder are faced with. Throw in a little about foster parenting and it was an interesting mix of the familiar and unfamiliar for me. Slow moving at times, this book might not be for everybody but if you have an interest in any of these areas, you might enjoy reading about Julia and Dell and the way their lives are changed.
A devastating blow to her professional success gives child psychiatrist Julia Cates the nudge she needs to return to to her small Washington hometown of Rain Valley.
The chief of police in Rain Vally, Ellie Cates, desperately needs her sister's psychiatric expertise after the discovery of 'Alice', a "wild" 6-year-old girl found abandoned in the forest and living with wolves.
For Julia, working with Alice begins as a desperate struggle to reclaim her professional stature but her growing love for the little girl soon has Julia rediscovering the definition of family and fighting to save Alice (and herself) from an unhappy future.
Apparently Kristin Hannah, the author of Magic Hour, is a well-known author. She has written many, many books but this is the first I have picked up. Magic Hour is a tender novel- an easy, light read with just enough depth and intrigue to pull the story along (but nothing that makes you think too hard!). If you like feel-good books that tell an interesting story but don't require much from the reader, this is the perfect book for you! I enjoyed it.
The Friday of Memorial Day weekend, Nathan and I loaded up the car and set out on the road right after my last day of work for the school year. Nathan was feeling a little under the weather, but I was excited because we were headed to my friend Anne's wedding in Nebraska! Unfortunately, after about 4 hours of driving, Nathan was feeling poorly enough that we had to stop early for the night. We went to bed in a dinky hotel in the middle of nowhere, hoping that he would be feeling better in the morning and we could quickly tackle the second half of our trip and arrive just in time for the wedding festivities.
No such luck.
Nathan felt just as bad the next morning and so we made the extremely difficult decision to turn around and head back home. I called Anne in tears because I was so disappointed that we weren't going to be there for her big day.
Shortly after the wedding Anne moved with her new husband, Tim, to Newton, Kansas.
For the past five years, Nathan has been driving an old Toyota Corolla. It has been running on borrowed time for quite a while now and we have often entertained the idea of purchasing a new car but held off since the car just kept running.
Shortly after returning from our attempted trip to Nebraska, Nathan's car decided not to start. The time had come to buy a new one.
Now, one thing I appreciate about my husband is his intense desire to avoid having a car payment. This desire is so strong that he is willing to drive pretty much anything that we can pay cash for. (I subscribe to this idea much more now after taking Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace class, and find that life with two working cars and no payment has been pretty nice.)
Interestingly enough, word reached Nathan that a friend of the Gillis family had recently expressed interest in getting rid of his Ford Ranger truck.
Hmmm... working on a house + lots of trash to dispose of + the need to haul materials = we need a truck! (The logical conclusion.)
The friend of the family with the truck for sale lives in Newton, Kansas.
Conveniently enough, another friend from church just happened to be driving to Kansas for a visit with his family. Insert a ride and company and the deal seemed too good to be true! So, Monday morning at 4:30 am we set out on the road again, this time for Kansas.
It was a quick trip but the ride was great, the truck was purchased, college friends were visited, and... I finally got to see Anne and Tim! It didn't quite make up for missing their wedding, but it sure made me feel better.
Added bonus= Anne gave me a badly needed haircut so 8 inches later, my hair is shorter than it's been in a long time!
Last Saturday, Marika and I joined Nathan and Liz in going to see Neko Case at the Ogden Theater in Denver. Three of the last four big name shows we’ve attended have been at their urging, and it has definitely paid off to take their advice!
The opening act was Joey & John, from the band Calexico. A guitar and drums duo, their sound was much fuller and their impact far less visceral than might be expected. Rather than exploiting the garage rock sound of bands with similar lineups, their sound was slow-building, often atmospheric country-rock. Having long figured that Calexico was one of those eclectic bands I would probably love if I would just take the time to hear them, I was surprised at what a comfortable sound Joey & John created. It was the same “driving alone on the highway in the middle of the night” sound that many roots rockers seek, but it was played superbly. Partway through their set, they were joined by a harmonica player, their combined powers creating the most intense music of the evening.
Neko’s performance was every bit as solid as I hoped it would be. Her voice is one of a kind, a soaring classic country voice in an indie-folk-rock context. A second vocalist, Kelly Hogan, provided harmonies, complementing Neko perfectly. Various images – everything from ghostly silhouette cutouts to a building in the process of being demolished – were projected onto a screen behind the band, enhancing the visual element and adding another dimension to the imagery in the lyrics.
While she and the band were in command the entire time, the tone was very relaxed. The interaction with the crowd was so casual, in fact, that Neko gave up performing the opening lines to Middle Cyclone (the title track of her most recent CD) after being derailed not once, but twice, by her own laughter. A joke that had started onstage had been passed back and forth between the band and the crowd until there was no room in anyone’s minds for an introspective ballad. As it turned out, Middle Cyclone was performed as the final song during the encore, bringing a very fitting close to the evening.
Our tickets were general admission, and we found spots up front before the show started. It was pretty crowded, and it only became more crowded as the evening went on. Thus, my only complaint was that it was the hottest, most crowded show I’ve ever attended. After a long week of packing, moving, cleaning, and a bit of demo in the new house, it was exhausting to stand in one place so closely packed together. I guess that’s the price we had to pay for a chance to be up close to such an excellent performer.
Olive Kitteridge is an elderly mother of one living in a small town in Maine. She has a profound influence over the lives of the townspeople in Crosby despite her unhappy, selfish, and uptight personality. The short stories that make up the chapters of this novel are the stories of Olive's husband and son, as well as many others who pass through Olive's small town life. Sometimes Olive's presence is strong and overwhelming in the stories, other times it's the merest glimpse of her that creates a ripple for the story line. The book culminates as Olive begins to accept the changes in the lives of the townspeople, and even welcome the changes for herself that have come with aging.
I chose this novel for my school's book club read because it recently won the Pulitzer. While not my favorite, this book is well-written and interesting. The format of using short stories to create a novel is unusual and compelling. Olive is not a likable character, however a reader will appreciate how a person like her can influence the lives of those around her in ways she never even realizes. In the end, the glimmer of hope that threads its way into Strout's story are still strongly overshadowed by a somber reality, but the authenticity of Olive's experience make that glimmer of hope feel strong and sure. It's a book worth reading.
Using a crowbar to pull up carpet tack strips is not unlike performing a graceful recital with a baton. Like a batonist (batoner?), when using a crowbar to pull up tack, you must flip and twirl, twist and slide the crowbar at just the right moment, in just the right way, and with perfect accuracy, all while standing and kneeling elegantly, so you are beautifully poised to create the desired affect.
I have invited Nathan to be an author on this blog. While I don't expect that he will write often, I am anxious to have him share his reviews of the concerts we attend occasionally. Last Saturday we went to Denver to see Neko Case at the Ogden Theater. Nathan's first post will be a review of that concert. He will publish it later this week so stay tuned!
Tearing up the carpet in a 1000(ish) square foot house will take 2 homeowners about 3 hours. (And, yes, there was carpet covering every square foot of the home.)
Daddy Dan (on the phone to Nathan discussing the garage at our new house): "Well, I was looking at the garage earlier today and I think it'll be pretty easy just to pop the top off and add another level."
