They Would Soar

I hope no one gets tired of my story updates... Although it has been a while.

Adon was barely tall enough to see over the stall wall. But then he heard a snort, and movement, and before he was ready, a large head peered over the door. Adon faltered, taking a step back. He was huge.

“Well, let’s go!” Marion said, and he reached for the door latch. Before Adon had time to comprehend what was going on, Marion had led the animal out of the stall and into the dim morning. He was pulling himself up on the massive animal’s back as he struggled to keep the creature from walking forward. “This is Veridus,” Marion said. “Now get on.”

Adon hesitated. Where had this creature come from and why were they allowed to use him.

“Come on!” Marion shouted. “We don’t have much time. I promise you; we are allowed to borrow him.”

Having no other choice, Adon did at he was told and pulled himself up behind Marion. He heard Marion say a word that he did not understand, and with a jolt, they were soaring on the air. Adon clutched at Marion’s back, almost reeling backward off the horse. “Oh my God!” he shouted. “What the hell is this?”

“Watch your language!” Marion grunted over his shoulder. Veridus tossed his head wildly as if understanding the boy’s words. “This, is a flying horse.”

Adon only gripped Marion’s back tighter and leaned into his shoulders. He could feel Marion waver a moment with Adon’s weight and then heard his voice.

“Can’t you keep your own balance, boy?” His voice quavered, and there was a sense of unease in it.

“What have I got to hold on to? You’ve got a mane.”

“This is going to take some getting used to,” Marion mumbled, crouching closer to Veridus’s neck. He was careful not to wrap his arms around it.

It didn’t take long for Marion to realize that he wasn’t exactly sure where he was going. He had been so caught up in the idea of leaving that he hadn’t given much thought to his actual direction. He glanced below. Everything looked so different from above. Landmarks were not as distinguishable; roads were obscured by the tops of trees; clouds and mists veiled the landscape; even the sun appeared differently from the sky. He scanned the terrain searching for some sign: a large road, lights of a city, the river. Ah, the river. Marion found it. He tugged Veridus slightly to the right and judged that they were about on the right path. They were on their way. For now, they would soar.

Prohibition

I watched Footloose yesterday. Yes, it does have something to do with children's literature. Or maybe it is just literature in general. In the movie, they talk a lot about prohibition, and one recurring theme is the idea of censorship. Some people of the town wanted to rid the libraries of certain books that they deemed unholy and unfit for children's reading. How terrible is that! There was even one scene where they had a book burning rally and destroyed many of the stories. However, the minister of the church in the town finally came to realize that prohibition and censorship was not the answer. What people needed was not an avoidance of temptation, but a complete change of heart that made that temptation undesirable, or at least recognizable. In other words, with the right heart, someone can read a book and know the wrong things that happen in the story, understand why they are wrong, and realize that they will have to encounter sin and wrong-doing in their everyday lives. With a change of heart, people can turn dancing into something that is holy and joyful, and not sinful. Fairytales can be fun and entertaining, and not have an anti-feminism agenda.

Sense of Nonsense

Alice and Wonderland is full of nonsense, but it has a strange logic to it. I mean, there is something to be said in the Hatter's remark that saying what you mean is not the same as meaning what you say, just like seeing what you eat is not the same as eating what you see. When you eat, you grow; if you have white flowers but need red ones there's no reason not to paint them; and morals can be found in almost anything (though it may not be worth trying to find them). The puns throughout the book are quite interesting as well. It is as if Carroll was only pointing out what people recognize but are too embarrassed to talk about. People don't mention these sorts of things because they think that others will think them crazy, or silly, or nonsensical. In reality, a little bit of sense can be found in most of the book. Maybe that is what is so entertaining about it. It's like a silly game; you have to make sense out of what is seemingly absolutely insane.

Under the Influence

Sometimes it is hard to write in a blog everyday. Sometimes you don't feel inspired, or you just can't seem to get your fingers to want to type. But sometimes when you feel this way, if you just go ahead and write, the craziest things will come out of your head. Tonight is one of those nights.

I can't wait until we start reading Alice and Wonderland. I have never read it before, but I have heard stories that the author wrote it while he was on opium. It is intereting how many of the most famous classic stories were written under the influence of something. I don't promote illegal drugs in any way, but a lot of the time, they seem to really bring out the creativity in people. It is also interesting how they can cause adult people to create masterful pieces for children. It is as if finding that high (by using drugs) is really just finding the child in yourself, and that is what makes you feel so happy. It's too bad that people resort to using substances to get to that point. It should be something that is found naturally. If we all could just keep in touch with the child within, then life would be just a little bit better. Maybe that is why so many adults love to read children's stories. They are great sources of a natural high.

Life and Fantasy and "What do you think?"

February 16, 2008—“What do you think?”

I promise it is Saturday as I write this. I’m still at the retreat. Anyway, here is an update on Marion’s world:


When Marion returned to the room, Adon was still snoring soundly. It was still dark outside, and Marion guessed it was about four in the morning. He would have another good hour of sleep before he would have to embark on his journey again.

He next awoke to Adon shoving his shoulder. “Marion, get up. Get up! I thought you wanted to leave early!”

Marion bolted upright. He could see a faint glow of light in the sky. Damn. The sun was already rising. He threw off the blankets and began to gather his things. “Are you ready to go?” he said gruffly. “Grab whatever you can get to eat downstairs and some for me. We’re in a hurry.”

Adon did as he was told, and left the room. Marion gather his cloak, his bow and arrows, and whatever money they had left. After one last look out towards the valley, he left the room and descended the stairs.

Hessa was waiting for him at the door with a freshly baked oat cake in hand. “You know where to find him?” she said.

Marion nodded, taking her cake. It was warm and smelled wonderfully of cinnamon. She smiled at him, and Marion had a curious sense of regret at not being able to see her smile again for a long time. Then he was out the door with Adon at his tail.

Marion was lucky he had a keen sense of direction. It didn’t take them long to find the start of the path to the barn again. But the path was quite different in the day than at night. The trees seemed less dense, the shadows less sinister. The barn itself could be seen from between the trees, and it appeared like just another cottage in the woods.

“Where are we going?” Adon asked when Marion took a sharp turn down into the woods.

“You’ll see,” Marion answered. The less that was said, the better. Fortunately, Adon didn’t ask again until they were upon the gate in front of the barn. Marion pushed it open and passed through. Adon frowned. “This is private property.”

“I have permission.” He pushed on the door to the barn. Adon followed as he crossed the aisle, placed a hand on the door of the stall, and peered over the edge. “What do you think?” Marion asked, more admiration in his voice than he intended to reveal.


February 15, 2008—Life and Fantasy

I know this is being posted late, but I am at a retreat where there is no internet service, so I am forced to write it now and post it later. Really, honestly, it is Friday evening. I am at what is called an Engaged Encounter retreat. It is for Catholic couples who want to be married, and it is a way to prepare yourself for marriage, through prayer, Mass, discussions, talks, and writing. So far it sounds like it will be amazing but a little tiring. It’s funny now when I look back at the fairy tales we have been learning about in class. In many of them, there was love at first site and the prince and princess were married soon afterward, and they live happily ever after. Today, that is so rare that the Catholic Church, which believes that that the marriage bond lasts forever, will not even marry a couple unless they have been engaged for at least six months and have gone through sufficient marriage preparation. I think that is wonderful. As much as we would all like to believe it, there is no such thing as love at first sight, and no one should marry on a whim. Now, I do believe in romance, and I do believe in happy endings, and I will marry my prince. We just have to prepare ourselves for it, that’s all.

Contradiction

Danielle intrigues me. She is very strong-willed and a little bit of a feminist, but she is not rebellious. She is somewhat contradictory. She defies the prince and almost seems to scold him, but lets her stepmother walk all over her. She even comments on how she stays up late and tries to think of ways to please her stepmother. This seems contradictory to a strong-willed, self-confident woman who would know if she was doing more work than her keep. I suppose Danielle doesn't mind the work, respects the position of a servant, and is very loyal to her family, but she doesn't seem to recognize the injustice she endures. Yet she always recognizes the injustice that inhibits others.

It seems to me that Danielle has two characters: the one who stands up for what she believes in, tricks the court (even royalty), and gets what she wants; and the one who allows herself to be pushed down and walked upon without even crying out. Then again, I suppose she does become a little more defiant with her stepmother once she starts seeing the prince. Perhaps the prince brings out what is best in her.

A Myth

It occurred to me today that many of our beliefs are based on myths. I would venture to say that many of the stories in the Old Testament are myths. And the funny thing is, we believe wholeheartedly in them. I'm not saying that they aren't true. I certainly am a Catholic Christian and I believe in God's Truth; I'm just saying that it is striking how so many of the world religions have religious texts that hold very similar myths. I wonder if it is because these myths are so close to the truth that they all have the same origin. Or is it because God has chosen to reveal himself differently to different people? I'm not saying that there are different "true" religions--there can only be one Truth--but all good comes from God, so there can certainly be certain smaller truths found in differing faiths. And these truths come alive in the myths.

Many Christians believe the Bible to be completely factual, a history book. I, on the other hand, though I believe the Bible is entirely true, don't take it as a factual history book. I guess it can be compared to what many people say about folktales: they are not exactly how something happened, but they are very true. I understand that while the Bible was inspired by God, it was written by human hands, and certain things were emphasized or elaborated according to the audience and the specific understanding of the culture of the time. A myth. Except that this collection of myths carried meaning much more powerful than even the most magical fairytale.

The Bible is the greatest love story, fantasy, adventure tale ever written.