Sonny's Blues

James Baldwin is an extraordinary writer in that he is able to display so many hidden, deeper meanings in such a simplistic manner. The text was a fairly easy read that gained the reader’s attention immediately from the beginning. The opening pages drives the reader to guess what the plot is going to be about as Sonny’s brother talks about how his students remind him of Sonny. I could really relate to the narrator when he talked about the concerns he has about his brother doing drugs because my brother went through a time period in his life where he was addicted to drugs. I did not know for a while, but when I found out, I was devastated and couldn’t believe he could do such a thing. I was immediately hooked in the story because I was so intrigued to see how the narrator dealt with his brother and the addition and I was also intrigued to see if Sonny was going to overcome his addiction like my brother did, or if he was going to be trapped in it forever. Although Sonny had some hard circumstances he had to face, it does not give him an excuse to depend on drugs. His brother grew up in Harlem just as he did and did not turn to drugs as a coping mechanism.

I loved how Baldwin ended the story and referred it to the Bible. When I initially read the last line, I did not know that the cup of trembling was used to describe the suffering that have plagued people in the bible. It represents the suffering and bondage that Sonny went through during his lifetime. Drinking from the cup represents that there is a chance for redemption and peace at the end of his suffering. Baldwin does a great job at keeping the reader questioning at the end because we do not know if Sonny really experienced redemption or if he continued to suffer in his addiction.

Joel Reflection

"I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth,
Blood, fire and columns of smoke.
"The sun will be turned into darkness
And the moon into blood"

A Cemetery Observed

In my opinion the last two chapters are a little more joyful than the first two. It represented more on how to overcome grief than the suffering that comes along with it. Time began to take its course and Lewis started to live his life again.
Lewis made a choice to stay true to his priorities which in turn helped him began the process of overcoming the grief he was suffering. People typically choose to wallow in their sorrows and spend too much time mourning instead of moving on. This is extremely helpful for readers that are dealing with the loss of a loved one because it will encourage them to be active in the recovery process. Lewis does such a great job saying the things that most Christians think but are not bold enough to talk about. Many people can be reached and encouraged by these topics, especially Non-Christians.

I went to the cemetery with Sianna and Jean and actually enjoyed it. I’m not going to lie when I read that we had to go, I was pretty freaked out because I do not like visiting cemeteries whatsoever. I choose to be optimistic about the situation which turned out really well and allowed me to realize some things that I never thought I would. The last time I was at a cemetery, my friend Megan that was only 21 years old was being buried. She died in a tragic car accident and it was really hard to not think back to that moment. It was really helpful to have Sianna and Jean there too take my mind off it. It was crazy to see that some of the tombstones represented people that were born in the 1800s. How crazy is that?? It’s really fascinating to think about the life that they lived and how different it is the how we live now. Even the way that the tombstones were designed and presented was a lot different than some of the modern ones. The older tombstones are more simpler than some of the modern ones which represents how simple life used to be. Another thing I noticed during the trip was the fact that someone’s life is represented by the year in which they were born and the year that they died. Some of them don’t even say the date. It’s just so insane that some people’s life is only represented by numbers. We had no idea if they had any kind of impact on the world or not. Also, some people had encouraging quotes while others had nothing more than what was needed. I just couldn’t believe how simple and similar the tombstones looked and how they did not represent the diversity that lies within people. This field trip most definitely opened my eyes and made me think twice about my life and the choices that I am making. It makes me think about what I’m doing with my life and how I’m impacting people. It also makes me think about the things I want people to remember me for when my life is over.

A Grief Observed

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“No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear. I am not afraid , but the sensation is like being afraid. The same fluttering in the stomach, the same relentless, the yawning. “
Losing a relative or a close friend is one of my biggest fears and can not imagine what it would be like. I suppose I would respond as Lewis did with relating it to the same feelings of fear. I really enjoy the style of this book and how it represents exactly how he felt after losing his wife. Two weeks ago, I almost lost my father so I can somewhat relate to what Lewis is dealing with. It is interesting to read about how he deals with the situation and how he views God’s involvement. It’s quiet typical for Christians to wonder where God is during certain situations, but it isn’t as typical for them to voice that. Some think it is out of line to question why certain things happen or why “God allowed certain things to happen,” as some would say. There is no way that the human mind can comprehend the way God works and why he allows or doesn’t allow things to happen. This is when instead of asking “God, why did this to happen,” one should think “although I do not understand why this happened, I will do my best to figure out what I can learn from this, or what is God trying to show me. “
I relate this reading to the short story The Blessed House we read because the main characters are a couple. It seems as though Jack and H have a better relationship than Twinkie and Sanjeev. The only problem is, we are reading from Jacks view instead of H’s. Although Jack may love her so much, H may not love him the same exact way. In both stories we are reading from the guy side of the relationship which can be completely different than the way the girl views the relationship. Which is true in most relationships One difference I did notice is the way the men viewed their significant others. Sanjeev most definitely did not love Twinkie the way that Jack loved H. If Twinkie passed away, Sanjeev would probably not grieve as much as Jack did since he is not madly in love with Twinkie.

Images of Joel

The book of Joel is full of different images that strike as vivid and some that be moving as well. The beginning chapter begins with a vivid description of locuts and what they have destroyed. Although it is easy to picture a swarm of grasshoppers that invade an area, it is not necessarily the most appealing image to view. It is interesting that this book starts off with an image such as this, instead of something that is more appealing to the eye. Using these kind of images to begin the story definitely is a good way to catch the reader's attentions. After the description of the locusts, starvation and drought is described. One phrase that stuck out to me in this section : "The herds of cattle wander aimlessly
Because there is no pasture for them; Even the flocks of sheep suffer." This not only paints a picture of cattle wandering around, it also brings reference to anther spiritual parallel as well. The herds of cattle just remind me of the lost people in this world that do not have a relationship with God. They search and search to find “their pasture,” but always end up lost, or running in circles.

The next phrase that is extremely vivid is :
"The mountains will drip with sweet wine,
And the hills will flow with milk,
And all the brooks of Judah will flow with water;
And a spring will go out from the house of the LORD
To water the valley of Shittim."
If this doesn’t bring images to your mind, I don’t know what would. This descriptive is much more appealing than locusts as well as more promising. These descriptions allow the reader to use their imagination and think about images that they do not see on an everyday basis.

Joel

Joel is not a book that I typically spend much time in but now that I have read through it, I have found some verses that have I have really been inspired me and that I plan on referring to in the future. There are many scriptures that sounded beautiful as I read aloud.

“The Lord will answer and say to His people,
“ Behold, I am going to send you grain,
new wine and oil,
Any you will be satisfied in full with them;
And I will never again make you a reproach among the nations.

This verse brings me so much comfort as I read them. I am encouraged to trust that God is going to satisfy all my needs. Not only is he going to supply me with what I need but he is also going to provide above and beyond the things I need. We do not deserve half the things that the Lord has blessed us with , but that represents the beauty of his nature. Another verse that stuck out to me was:

“Do not fear, O land, rejoice and be glad,
For the LORD has done great things.”

It is so important to rejoice in the Lord no matter what the circumstance is and remembers all the great things that he has done in our personal lives as well as what he has done for everyone else as well. Sometimes it’s easy to be joyful when things are going good, but what about when things are not going well. What are we going to do then? It is in those times when we have to choose to be joyful even when the circumstances that aren’t so promising. Doing this is definitely not easy, but will become easier the more you do it. Not only will you benefit from it, others will pick up on it as well.

A Story About the Body

This story makes me angry. It reminds me of how shallow and selfish some men can be. Not all men are like this, but a lot of them most definitely have these characteristics. How can this young composer be so shallow? First of all, his only attractions to her are physical and he does not say much about the type of person she is. The only thing other than her physical traits he mentions is how he valued her art work, but he relates that to her body, so that doesn’t count. At first, his physical descriptions did not bother me because it is typical for a man to talk about that. What really put me over the edge was when he said he could not be with her after she told him that she has had a double mastectomy. What a tool for saying that. Having your breast removed is a big deal; I know I would feel like part of my womenhood was taken away from me if that happened. She more than likely has insecurity issues and probably has a hard time having someone love her despite her deformities. Why couldn’t he just look past the issue and try and get to know her more? Maybe after he got to know her more, he would be able to look past her deformities. The reality of this story is what is disturbs me because it happens on a daily basis. Sadly, I sometimes catch myself falling into it. I have many guys friends that will not even talk to some girls because they do not look a certain way.
I wonder if it is like this in other cultures that aren’t exposed to as much media as we are. The media sends this message that men and women have to look a certain way and dress a certain way in order to be desired. Apparently the young composer is influenced by the media.
The bowl that was left for the man is a perfect representation of the kind of person he is. The roses on top represent that he appears to be a sweet genuine guy, and the dead bees underneath represent how shallow he is.

The Last Dress

“Mom, can you please hurry, everybody’s waiting on us. ” Macy screamed.
“I’m coming, I’m coming, just trying to find where your father put the camera!” I screamed.
I had the camera in my hand but instead was grabbing the gift I wanted to give Macy before she left for her senior prom. I could not believe this night was here. It seems like just yesterday I was dropping Macy off for her first day of Kindergarten.
I remember it like it was yesterday. My mother spent the majority of the summer before her first day making her a “first day of school,” dress. Macy picked out pink and blue paisley fabric for the dress but was not allowed to see it until it was completely finished. The anticipation killed her all summer and she would sneak around and try to get a peak of the dress. The finished product was incredible and fit Macy so perfectly; the colors of the dress made her electric blue eyes glow. Her curly red head bounced up and down as she walked herself to her class room. Macy insisted on walking herself to her classroom and did not want me to walk her because she said it makes her feel more grown up. It was so hard to just let her go since she had been glued to my hip for the past five years.
“Mom, what the heck are you doing? If we miss the limo, you’re going to have to buy us our own.” Macy screamed again. Wow, I didn’t realize that I had been standing there for a few minutes lost in the memories that I cherished so much. Since Macy started her senior year, I found myself reminiscing a lot more than normal. Sometimes when Macy was out with her friends, I would just sit in her room and think about all the fashion shows she made me sit through, and tea parties we had with all her stuffed animals. Where in the world has the time gone and why is my little girl growing up so fast?
As I walked around the corner, and saw her for the first time since she was ready, I was speechless. Her beauty captivated all my attention and brought a tear to my eye. Her soft long, honey almond colored hair was done in loose curls that were curled away from her face. Her makeup was done flawlessly and made her look a lot older than eighteen. She had dramatically smokey eyes and long luscious eyelashes that made her blue eyes radiate. Her lips were shimmering with a champagne pink lip-gloss and her cheeks were coated with a sheer, golden bronze dust. Her dress was white which contrasted so well against her olive brown skin. The dress was without a question made for her, it was an elegant full length satin gown that had a mermaid shape and corset bodice: fitting tightly around her waist which accentuated her curvy hips and flowed out around her knees. The neckline was an off the shoulder sweetheart shape which brought attention to her colorbones and nicely toned shoulders. It was streamed with a thin layer of Swarovski crystals that wrapped around to the back of her dress which formed a V and exposed a little of her back. The middle of the dress had a gathering towards her right side and was detailed with a large sparkling silver brooch that resembled a daisy. She had a thin silver necklace that lay delicately on her neck and long teardrop shaped diamond earrings that dangled right above her shoulders. She had the hardest time finding a bracelet to match and did not feel like her accessories were complete. Little did she know, I had the perfect piece that would complete her outfit. My mother had given me a diamond bracelet to wear on the day of my wedding. This bracelet was passed down from my great grandmother and was vintage style with silver diamonds that were imported from Germany. I debated for weeks on whether I should wait until her wedding day to give it to her but something inside me kept telling me that this is the right time. At the time, I did not realize that there was much more to that strong feeling that led me to the decision.

“Macy, you look absolutely stunning, you are definitely going to be the prettiest girl there!” I claimed. Ok, let me get a couple pictures of you and Caden by the staircase and another one outside the gazebo.” I said.

“Alright mom, just as long as we hurry, I was supposed to be there ten minutes ago,” Macy said.

I was so distracted my Macy that I did not even notice my husband standing to the side of her with a tear rolling down his cheek. Matt never cried so I knew this was a big moment for him and that he as well was remembering Macy as a free spirited little girl.

“Before we take the pictures, Macy I want to give you something, can we step in the other room for a second.”

As she walked behind me to the other room, I pulled myself together as I was about to share on the most memorable moments with my daughter. I could tell she was confused and had no idea what was about to happen. She was just expecting a “mom talk,” that reminded her to make good choices. When I pulled out the mahogany wooden box that had a W engraved on the front, she was appalled.

“Oh my gosh, MOM are you serious? You’re giving this to me now and not on my wedding day?” She claimed as she clasped her hands around her mouth. A little tear started rolling down her face.

“Yes, Macy, today is not as important as your wedding day but is most definitely a special day. It matches your earring and necklace perfectly and I knew you were bummed you couldn’t find a bracelet to match. I love you more than you’ll every know Macy Grace and I hope that you have the best night of your life. Please be careful and make good choices.” I said.

“Awwww, I love you too Mom and I’ve been waiting since I was five years old to call this bracelet my own. I will cherish it forever and pass it onto my daughter one day. Thanks Mom, you just made this the best day of my life.”

We joined Matt and Macy’s date, took pictures and got them on their way. As soon as they left, I was exhausted and full of emotions and wanted to relax. My husband and I started dinner and put in a movie. We tried our best to occupy our minds with other things so we did not worry. Teenagers always do stupid things on prom night. We trusted Macy to be smart, but we did not trust all the other punks she went to school with.
I had fallen asleep on the couch in my husband’s arms and woke up to the phone ringing. Matt and I were immediately made eye contact then looked at the clock. It was about 12:30 a.m., which was the time shortly after the dance was over and when Macy would be heading to her friend’s house to spend the night. My stomach was in knots and I felt dizzy at the thought of what the phone call could be. My husband raced to the phone.

“Hello,” he said with fear. “Yes this is him.” I knew immediately things weren’t good.

“Matt, what is it?”

“Tanya, Macy has been in an accident.”

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star....

“Who you are is more than who you live as.” This statement really opened my eyes and prompted me to reflect on how I view others and how much I don’t know the people in my life that I feel like I know really well. It also prompts me to reflect on how well I know myself. During certain seasons of my life I feel as if I have a complete understanding of who I am. During other seasons, I experience certain insecurities that restrain me from having confidence in my identity. It is important to have a well rounded understanding of yourself so that you can live a free and confident life. Some people even look to others as an aid to help them find their identity. A great way to do this is to become familiar with characters in a different stories.
In This Blessed House, many women can use Twinkle as a women to mimic particular characteristics. In this story, Twinkle is a beautiful, optimistic and adventurous wife that enjoys her life. Although she does not claim she is a Christian, it appears that she is extremely fascinated with the symbolic Christian pieces that are found around the house. She also wants to display them in her house which shows that she values them. Not only was she adventurous, she was very smart as well since she completed a master’s thesis at Standford. She represents confidence in herself and that she is not perfect.
As we read about Twinkle and her characteristics in This Blessed House, is it possible to really know who is she is? Wouldn’t we see a different side of her if the story was told through her eyes, or if there was a little more information about her childhood and influences on her life that have shaped her ? Although we may feel as if we know who she is, we are only exposed to a little glimpse of her life. Is that enough to make a judgement? How would you feel if people classified you by one glimpse?

Does Artistic Literature Taste Good?

Fine foods required skilled preparation and are valued by many people. Not your average cook can pull together a dish of fine foods. It takes a special chef that has a great amount of artistic ability. They must be able to see food and it’s creation as a form of art and be able to creatively express their deas through their dishes. This can relate to artistic literature in that it requires the writer to have the ability to express their creativity through their work. Like fine foods, artistic literature can also be presented in many different forms. It is not suppressed by a certain criteria or standard. Also like fine food, artistic literature can have a different impact on different people. One person may experience one emotion while he or she reads while another person may experience a completely different feeling.
Artistic literature should be read actively with an open mind. The reader should allow themselves to enter into a state of vulnerability as they read the particular text. Most fine foods that we encounter are not something you would eat on an average day, or even care to at that. If there were a burger and quail in front of you, you would probably choose the burger just because you’re more familiar with the taste. Trying the quail would require you to step out of your comfort zone and take a risk to experience something new. Artistic literature is set apart from other forms of literature and should be read with a creative and risk taking approach.