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Post by Dave on Oct 8, 2011 17:52:24 GMT -5
35. Back Up At some point you have to fill in at least a sketch of Africa. You know, I don't. I should, but don't have the knowledge for the local color, although I could research it. The book is already too long and I don't want to make it a topic. Still, you're right, readers' will want to know more about it. The nice thing about Print on Demand is that I can keep changing the text and as a matter of fact I'm about ready upload another text for the book. It's only slightly different .... where I found mistakes or wanted to reword a phrase. The only significant difference (and this is already in the latest version) is when the reader realizes that not only did Jesse think Sally was his angel, but Sally wondered if Jesse was some sort of an angel |
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Post by keith on Oct 12, 2011 13:10:06 GMT -5
Episodes 38-41
Even though from previous reads I knew this was coming, it remains very powerful.
On the previous reads, I missed the contrast provided by the gentle insertion of humor in Grace's introduction between the gut punch of the crash and the intellectual acceptance that follows.
I originally went with the obvious implication of Grace's name. I didn't realize until reading your post this morning that you have a family history with the name Grace.
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Post by keith on Oct 12, 2011 13:14:28 GMT -5
I think there are a lot of people who don't remember the "Suicide is Painless" song from the MASH movie.
Not as lush as the TV version, but I think it has it's own merits.
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Post by Dave on Oct 12, 2011 15:58:32 GMT -5
I think there are a lot of people who don't remember the "Suicide is Painless" song from the MASH movie. Not as lush as the TV version, but I think it has it's own merits. I think there are a lot of people who don't remember the "Suicide is Painless" song from the MASH movie. Not as lush as the TV version, but I think it has it's own merits. You're right, probably few would remember the lyrics. They were never used in the TV version. In my memory, the film was much more moving than the TV show, which was a testament to silliness. In my humble opinion. It was of course entertaining, however, and I watched it in the late Seventies. I chose that particular YouTube of the song because it combines the lyrics of the original song and uses them with somber footage from the TV show. I wanted moving pictures and couldn't find the song coupled with cuts from the film with Sutherland, Gould, et al. with the original musical theme arrangement. Thanks for finding that movie scene, however. To me the film's story was of useless slaughter and men caught up in a hell of gore. Well, of course, it was war. The movie grabbed me and twisted my guts because I saw it soon after my own air crash. (Posts 38-41 are 95% autobiographical, except for the awareness of the plight of the old man and the woman left in the plane (with others) and a few other details.) There's nothing like a little fresh brewed PTSD to bring back vivid memories and that's what the film did for me. Not the airplane part, but the useless dying. |
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Post by Dave on Oct 12, 2011 16:01:40 GMT -5
Episodes 38-41 Even though from previous reads I knew this was coming, it remains very powerful. On the previous reads, I missed the contrast provided by the gentle insertion of humor in Grace's introduction between the gut punch of the crash and the intellectual acceptance that follows. I originally went with the obvious implication of Grace's name. I didn't realize until reading your post this morning that you have a family history with the name Grace. I never connected it my mother's middle name, either, until you mentioned it.  It was meant to connect with grace from on high. Grace (and I cannot today remember her real name) was truly an angel who came bearing grace. And the lesson of depending on others and listening further for a gentle voice or nudge. However, I can't say I got the message as quickly as Jesse does in the story. |
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Post by keith on Oct 12, 2011 18:05:52 GMT -5
MASH brings up a lot of associations for me. The movie came out while I was in the Army and was my first contact with the story and characters. It certainly resonated with me at the time.
Just a few months before I got out, I was nominated for promotion to Sgt (E-5). That was a break point rank when I was in. Most soldiers if they kept their noses clean and did their jobs could make the rank of E-4 in less than 2 years. The ranks E-5 and above were mostly "lifers" i.e. thgose who served more than the minimum time. Promotion required questioning by a board of senior NCO's.
I had made no secret of the fact that I did not intend to re-up and really did not care if I was promoted. It happened that I spent the night before the E-5 board reading MASH. Most of the serious soldiers stayed up late studying things military.
My board was strange. The Pentagon Papers had been published the week before and reflectly badly on Presidents Kennedy & Johnson. After a few basic questions, I was asked if I had read the reports and what I thought. I struggled a bit trying to reconcile my respect for the office with disappointment with the men. I guess I did OK, I spent my last 2 months in the Army as a Sgt.
The TV series coincided with our first few years of marraige. It was something my wife & I watched together. My memories of the series are definitely colored by that.
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Post by keith on Oct 14, 2011 22:34:38 GMT -5
42. Pride
The amazing thing is that we don't have to earn a father's love. Otherwise male children would all be drowned by the age of 16 years 6 months.
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Post by keith on Oct 14, 2011 23:03:00 GMT -5
45. Contemplatives
Theresa Andersson is Amazing
It wasn't until later in the narrative that I learned what was meant by contemplative prayer. At this point I thought I knew. That was an amazing revelation.
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Post by Dave on Oct 15, 2011 19:26:43 GMT -5
45. Contemplatives Theresa Andersson is Amazing It wasn't until later in the narrative that I learned what was meant by contemplative prayer. At this point I thought I knew. That was an amazing revelation. WHICH revelation was amazing? This post or the later post. I should put more on contemplative prayer in the story. I promise if I change the text that much, I'll drop ship you a new copy! There ARE quite a few references to contemplative monks and contemplative prayer in the book, although I never come out and say, e.g., contemplative monks are men (and women) who devote their lives to studying the scripture and living a monastic order through the day, including time for contemplative prayer. Contemplative prayer (sometimes known as centering prayer) is a non verbal contemplation that has no stated objective other than coming closer to God. I could do that. I'm not sure readers would get much out of that definition. Wiki does a good job, as usual. Google "contemplative monks" and you can read the article on the Trappists and the Carmelites. The monastery I go to for my studies is Carmelite. (I'm going next week.) I spent a weekend once at the Trappist Monastery in Springfield, MA, and I have visited Thomas Merton's monastery at Gethsemane in Kentucky. |
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Post by keith on Oct 15, 2011 21:30:01 GMT -5
It was a later post when I realized that contemplative prayer had a very specific meaning and did some further reading.
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Post by keith on Oct 19, 2011 22:53:59 GMT -5
49-50
Was the juxtaposition of Buddy Holly and Wham deliberate?
Wham is to Buddy Holly as Chef Boyardee is to East Utica Chicken Riggies.
In any case, National Geographic was the Playboy of out youth (and much more socially acceptable).
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Post by Dave on Oct 20, 2011 12:14:16 GMT -5
I inadvertently deleted the wrong post. So regarding Buddy Holly versus Wham, if I had any idea in mind at all, the juxtaposition was not so juxta, but rather relationship between the exuberance of Holly and so to of Wham. The difference between the two was certainly that Holly was a genius of sorts, of course. I'm sure Wham was a marketing package.
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Post by keith on Oct 20, 2011 17:04:40 GMT -5
Hey Hey, I enjoyed the Monkees, packaged pop is not all bad. "Wake me up before you "Go-Go." always made me listen when it came up on the car radio. When I saw the two in sequence, the difference was striking.
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Post by Dave on Oct 20, 2011 21:55:25 GMT -5
The Monkees? You should be ashamed of yourself!! Hahahahaha!
Oh, well. I enjoyed some of Hank Williams Jr.'s stuff.
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Post by keith on Oct 26, 2011 11:49:30 GMT -5
51. Irish Catholic Sex
My wife's first nursing job after graduation was at a Catholic hospital on a floor run by a nun. They had regular uniforms just as you described from school, kneeling the hem had to touch the floor. This was in 1973A couple years later when she wore a new uniform jump suit to work she was advised not to wear it again.
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It was meant to connect with grace from on high.