Are Heroes Necessary ... Or Not?

I frame the classes I teach in terms of an overarching "essential question" ... in other words, a question with no clear-cut answer intended to get my students thinking.  The literature we read, writing assignments we undertake, and pretty much everything that we explore in class can be tied back to that question, leading to higher order thinking on the part of students that is often just completely mind-blowing.

The essential question for my English 10 class is, "What does it mean to be a hero?" and, while it seems simple on the surface, the kids have already proven that it's possible to take it to intense philosophical depths.

The class had a seminar discussion focused on their initial understandings shortly after school started then had to write a reflection based on our whole-class conversation.

One of my students, an incredibly deep thinker who forces me to think in directions that are way beyond "out of the box" on a regular basis, asked for extended time as he grappled with articulating his thoughts on paper.  I was happy to accommodate his request as his ideas are always so original and thought-provoking.

This paper was no exception.

I was so impressed, in fact, that I talked to him about "publication" so that his contemplation on what it means to be a hero could be shared with a wider audience.  He was very excited about the idea, so I am posting his paper here in its entirety in the hopes that you will comment extensively on his points and an online discussion can transpire.  People from all over the world could potentially read, think about, and respond to his thoughts and reflections ... for this student, this would be unspeakably exciting.

And selfishly, I'm very curious to see what others think about it ... I know that it certainly raised my own concept of heroism to a new plateau.

The following was written by a sophomore in high school; while I've fixed spelling and grammar errors, the content is 100% his.  Please weigh in, as this is a kid who thrives on thinking ... being the impetus for an in-depth conversation beyond the classroom would be exciting and extremely valuable for him.

Thank you in advance :-)
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The discussion really opened my eyes up to what the rest of the world sees as heroes.  Some people think of heroes as an idiot who dresses up in tights and flies around the city, other minds go straight to military personnel as well as policemen and firefighters.  Perhaps the most common definition of a hero is someone you look up to.

I used to disagree with the thought of heroes, and this is why.  There are a few things that everyone knows.

1.  As a person, we always want to be better.

2.  No one is perfect.

So it seemed to make sense that heroes are just a way to get let down, and why would I set my sights at anything less than perfect?  If "perfect" is where I wanted to be ...  I figured following a hero is just the blind leading the blind, thinking they're not lost.

As I thought more, I decided I was right, no doubts, but I couldn't leave it at that.  If I wasn't going to look up to a person, what was I going to do?

Some people use religion.  They follow their God, much like a hero (e.g., "What would Jesus do?"), and this can act as their motivation and be used to set goals as a replacement to a hero.

I thought about this, too, and this didn't seem to work, either.  It seems as a way to label the world is out of my control.  Even if this is striving for perfection, I know I can only be as big as I will let myself be.

So still with no ideas what or who to look up to, who I wanted to be like, et cetera, I kept thinking, and I came across a thought.  A BIG thought.  I was looking in the wrong spot.  I shouldn't be looking up, I should be looking in.  

As wrong and unorthodox as it seems, with this idea everything seemed to make sense.  I'll be my own hero.  Instead of looking up to another person, I look up to the person I can (and will) become instead of saying, "I want to grow up and be like him."  I say, when I grow up, I just want to be me, the best me I can be.

This idea just works for me.  It uses no labels and no limits.  It gives room for infinite potential, and I know I won't have to worry about being too like anybody else.

In the end, if you think you need a hero, you're dead wrong, and if you still think heroes fly around in tights, I feel bad for you.

Honestly, I don't care what anybody thinks after reading this because I found my hero, and it's ...
*  my imagination
*  my inner self
*  and my future
rolled into one good thought.

Do Feminism and Christianity Have to be Mutually Exclusive?

I am obsessed with thinking. In general, it's a really good thing, but sometimes it makes you realize how complicated the world is and how varied the beliefs people hold.

I've boiled down my basic life philosophy thus--I want the world to be a better place because I was here. I don't want medals or great public accolades or anything other than the knowledge that I have made a positive difference. To me, this seems very simple.

I've learned recently how divided (and paradoxically intertwined) the concepts of feminism and Christianity are. This makes absolutely no sense to me, but I've taken some hits from quite a few Zelda Lily commenters over it. I don't take the criticism personally (I learned pretty quickly that I'd never write ANYTHING--and not just for Zelda Lily--if I did that), but it really makes me think.

To me, feminism is the idea that women are in control of their own choices and the decisions that guide their lives. There are many women--and a lot of men, too--that I don't agree with, but they are able to live a life that makes sense to them. I'm able to live a life that makes sense to me. Live and let live. Leave the world a better place than you found it. If a woman wants to be a CEO or a housewife (and, of course, anything in between and beyond), that is a choice she can and should be able to make. Simply put, that's my definition of feminism. It's not that hard.

Religion is a big part of my life. I've talked about it here before so I don't feel like I need to rehash, but suffice it to say that I have a very close and personal relationship with God. I'm very familiar with the Bible and try to fit my life into the teachings found therein.

The Bible is very open to interpretation if you read it closely. I did a book study on it (that sounds kind of heretic, I know, but it was extremely valuable to me as both a human being and a Christian), and one of the most important lessons I took away from it is the dichotomy (or trichotomy or quadchotomy or whatever) there is in the major sects of Christianity that all claim to follow the tenets of the Bible. For this reason (and through conversations I've had with God through prayer), I feel that my interpretation of the Bible--one that teaches of love and forgiving and sinning and repenting and, not to sound like a broken record, but living a life brimming over with good works for others--is not just appropriate but correct. I also think God's got a great sense of humor and would totally have loved this little story about one of my best friends and a mass-produced prayer rug she received in the mail.

I found a site called Ladies Against Feminism through my work at Zelda Lily, and it just scares the crap out of me. The message it seems to send is that a woman's place is at home and at church, basically serving the men in her life (husband, father, son, whatever). I find this idea completely contradictory to my interpretation of the Bible, but whatever floats your boat, you know? Live and let live.

However, the women writing on this site aren't content to let people develop their own religious philosophies, which I think is truly necessary if your relationship with God is to be any more than just lip service, dogma, and brainwashing. I went to church every Sunday of my childhood, yet I did not have a true relationship with God until I stopped going. They are defensive, and their tunnel vision makes me deeply scared for people that are looking for quick, easy answers.

There are no quick, easy answers to most of what happens to us. My beloved step-father, one of the finest human beings in the world, died of an extremely painful cancer at a fairly young age. Charles Manson is still alive, the swastika he carved into his forehead standing out. Is this fair? Heck, no. And I could ask why forever, but that's just the way it goes. God has a plan for each of us, but presuming to know it and to slap down people that disagree with you is just wrong.

I don't presume to know very much at all, but one thing I do know is that one-sided, rigid, my-way-or-the-highway people drive me crazy. It's very hard to articulate this, and there is not any sort of forum to do so, but I needed to get this out.

Most people that know me don't think I'm a religious person. I'm fine with that--what I believe is my business, and as far as I'm concerned, I can teach far more about God's lessons through living a helpful and productive life than sitting in church every day or writing down words that I've heard so much from my father and/or husband that I believe them to be true (and just to be very clear, neither my father nor my now-ex-husband were like this--both encouraged and challenged and supported to the best of their abilities any endeavor I wanted to take on and to be the person I am inside). In order for a true and genuine relationship with God, you get there on your own.

Decrying the idea of feminism out of hand in the name of God is just flat out wrong, particularly when feminism is such a complex and individual concept and such a loaded word.

I am a feminist. I am also a Christian. I am proud to be both. They are not mutually exclusive for me, and I don't think they have to be for anyone ... provided they're willing to look at a big picture with an open mind and, more importantly, an open heart.

I am a sinner. I have done some horrible things in my life. I have been paid back for it (with interest), but even so, the sins are still there. I will never forget. All I can do is be the best person I can be and give only the best of myself to others. Sometimes I'm successful, sometimes I stumble, but that is my guiding focus ... and that's all that God can ask of me.

I apologize in advance if I've offended anyone here. Please know that the God I believe in has shown me that honesty and thought are two of the most important things a human being can share. He gave me a passion for writing that makes this the vehicle I have to disseminate my thoughts in an honest manner.

Cult Mentality and the Care Bears

Belle has recently discovered The Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation. Since I loved this movie when it first came out in 1986 (I babysat a lot ... yeah, that's my excuse ;)), I was pretty excited. However, I made a rather disturbing discovery while watching the film with Belle--there is a serious cult reference that really kind of bugs me.

Okay, I suppose a brief overview of the plotline (hey, it's got a plotline :)) is in order here. And I promise, there is a point to this post.

Basically, these two Adam and Eve-esque creatures, True Heart Bear and Noble Heart Horse, are given charge of the newborn Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins (a varied collection of animals). They float on an ark--ahem, a boat--into the clouds, where they raise the babies. Eventually, they break into two groups (for reasons I'm not exactly sure of)--the Care Bears live with True Heart in the cloud kingdom of Care-A-Lot while the Care Bear Cousins along with Noble Heart inhabit the Forest of Feelings.

Their nemesis is the wicked Dark Heart who exists as either a dark tornado shape with red eyes or a red-haired boy (and he is able to change into any animal he wants--as long as it's red).

Dark Heart for some reason lays siege on a summer camp, where several of the kids are suffering some bullying for always losing at camp activities. Two of the kids--blonde twins John and Dawn--are whisked off to the home of the Care Bears where they help take care of the baby cubs and gain a sense of responsibility, pride, and the realization that everyone is good at something.

Their friend Christy, however, is not so lucky. She encounters Dark Heart in the forest and strikes a dangerous deal with him, agreeing to do a favor for him if he gives her the magic power to be "Camp Champ". Anyway, Christy ends up helping Dark Heart trap the Care Bears while True Heart and Noble Heart are off on a wild goose chase for Dark Heart's shadow (it sounds weird, I know, but it makes sense if you see it). Christy becomes tormented by what she's done, but she is never really evil; she shows her true goodness by diving into the water to save Dark Heart after he falls out of a canoe they're in, hits his head, and nearly drowns. However, she is unwilling to give up the new status given her through Dark Heart's evil magic.

Before long, there are only a few Care Bears and Cousins left. They conspire with Dawn and John to get caught intentionally because they know that their magic is strongest when they're with the other Care Bears; the twins, meanwhile, are left to bring Christy to her senses.

Before the children can reach Dark Heart's lair, though, the evil whatever-he-is transforms each member of the Care Bear family into a piece of glass in a crystal chandalier. The kids argue with Dark Heart, and things come to a climax when Noble Heart and True Heart show up. Christy stands in front of the little furry guys, protecting them from Dark Heart's magic attack. Even when Dark Heart takes away the strength and skill he had given her, she holds firm. She is injured in the process but manages to free the others through shooting a marble (the one skill she'd always possessed on her own) at the chandalier, sending it crashing down and breaking the spell. Dark Heart goes nuts and sends magic bolts everywhere, and Christy is critically injured, much to the distress of everyone ... including Dark Heart.

And this is where the cult mentality comes in. As Dark Heart cradles Christy in his arms, True Heart instructs the others to get into a circle and focus on how much they care. They oblige, chanting, "We care! We care! We care!" in a frightening unison as True Heart struts around like a televangelist spouting off, "Say it! Shout it! We care!" I mean, I was half expecting her to shout, "Can I get an hallelujah? Could you give me an amen?" It was really horribly creepy, and it got me thinking about the religious undertones (and there are many) in this movie. Here's a YouTube clip of this ... what do you think?

Chanting animals in a circle, moving simultaneously with joined hands as a "leader" raises them to higher glory ... is it just me, or is that a little weird? Am I putting too much thought into a movie made for children? Or, perhaps most importantly, is it really a movie made for children?

Offensive in the Name of Religion

I'm not an easily offended person. Well, at least not easily offended by things that I happen to lay eyes on. However, I've seen a couple of t-shirts the last couple of days that cannot be described in a way other than offensive. Perhaps I'm being overly sensitive here. I'm curious for your input.

The first one (and less offensive of the two, in my humble opinion):



Now, I've said before in this blog that I have a close relationship with my view of God. I've read The Bible extensively and was raised with a great deal of formal religious training. I am 100% for people coming to terms with their spirituality, finding peace and comfort from a higher power, and having a solid belief system ... and if wearing something like a crucifix necklace or Kabbalah bracelet is important to them, more power to you.

That being said, however, my spiritual self takes major issue with the likeness of Jesus Christ replacing the Starbucks siren. As one who tries to live life in a way that mirrors Christ's teaching as set forth in The Bible, I think this sort of cheap commercialism is just ... tawdry.

That one bugged me, but what really drove me over the edge was:



To be completely honest with you, I really liked this shirt when I first saw it. In fact, I kind of wanted to get one of my own. Why? Because my life was saved by a blood transfusion after I experienced serious internal bleeding following surgery. It took me a few minutes to realize that, like the Starbucks rip-off, this shirt was commercializing religion. In my eyes, it was twisting something visually identifiable as one thing (donating blood through the American Red Cross, Starbucks, et cetera) into a religious farce. Because of my personal experience with blood transfusion, it hit me especially hard.

Perhaps I'd feel a bit mollified if I knew that the proceeds from these utterly tasteless mass-produced t-shirts were going to a cause that would be sanctioned by Jesus Christ Himself rather than going into the already deep pockets of enterprising and opportunistic companies.

Am I being overly critical here? Should I just get over it? Why am I so deeply offended here when I'm really pretty easygoing about most things? What does it mean that this is making me examine my own religious feelings?

An Old Friend Joins the Three Musketeers for Dinner

One of my best friends, B.J., came down to visit Addie, Belle, and I. She is just wonderful, and I miss her so much and wish I saw her more often. We taught together for a year and, despite a bit of distance, our friendship has persevered. We went to Bugaboo Creek where Belle told lame knock-knock jokes and Addie actually got the double entendre details of stories B.J. and I tell about out adventures at work (There's a book called Up the Down Staircase--it should be read by everyone in education).

Anyway, there are many invaluable memories I have with B.J., but my personal favorite has been recounted already in one of my other blogs (originally written in 2007, if you can believe it). However, it was such a great story that I figured I'd post it here for your viewing pleasure--and as thanks to B.J., who always seems to know when I need a friend to lean on. And a laugh ... always a laugh : )

So, here it is ... once again : ) The true story of B.J. and the Prayer Rug.
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Just got off the phone with my good friend B.J. My stomach hurts from laughing so hard. I think we're both going to hell.

In general, B.J. is a very calm, cool, and collected individual. However, she called me this afternoon rather shaken with a story that absolutely couldn't wait until tomorrow. B.J. carefully explained to me that, while horror movies and superstitions don't generally freak her out, she has a slight issue with those that deal with the religious (such as the movie "Stigmata").

Now, B.J. and I went out to dinner last night and reminisced about how she had to attend "God Training" in order to work as a volleyball coach at a religious school. We were laughing about the ludacrisy of the video itself ("Not ALL homosexuals are pedophiles"), and, okay, we got silly about how black and white really were B.J.'s colors if she decided to become a nun.

Evidently God was listening.

In today's mail, B.J. received a package from St. Matthew's Churches (note the plural) in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Within, there was a letter, a sealed package, and a prayer rug composed of two sheets of computer paper containing the face of Jesus Christ. However, it has the disturbing optical illusion feature where the eyes look closed initially but, when you look just right, all of a sudden the big guy is staring right at you, following your every move. B.J. was creeped out, to say the least.

Well, not wanting to further bring down any wrath of God upon herself, B.J. called some people (including her mom--"Jesus is watching me, Mom, he's watching me!") and yours truly.

She started out by reading me the letter she received. The gist of it was that she needed to, alone in a room by herself, utilize the prayer rug for its intended purpose (to wit, praying). After that, she was instructed to put it into her Bible for the night. No Bible? No worries ... just put it under your bed for the night. While J.C. is chilling under your bed, the plan is that you flip the letter over and fill out the "wish list"--money, new house, new job, new boyfriend, et cetera et cetera. You then mailed the prayer rug back to a P.O. Box in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and that was that.

(I should note that B.J. did try to hide the prayer rug under her bed, but her cat started eating it. Realizing that this was likely sacrilegious on a variety of levels, B.J. kept the prayer rug out in the open. I suggested sealing it in a bag or something, but she was concerned that Jesus might suffocate)

After following these directions, B.J. was allowed to open the SPECIAL SECRET package containing her OWN PRIVATE PROPHESY. I should also probably mention the "testimonials" from "real people" who used the prayer rug and saw all their dreams come true.

Of course, this made B.J. uneasy ... it would have made me uneasy too. Therefore, we googled St. Matthew's Churches (again, note the plural) in Tulsa, Oklahoma. There were a number of hits identifying it as a scam (basically, they send you free stuff ranging from "a piece of Noah's Ark" to a shred of Joseph's coat of many colors to completely hook you before they begin asking for money or income tithing).

Well, I think this made B.J. feel a little better. We also did a Google image search and found the church (?) itself ... there were sad and pathetic pictures of scores of people in different churches all over the country. It was just very sad and unfortunate.

Well, B.J. was evidently convinced enough that it was a scam that she decided to open her OWN PRIVATE PROPHESY. I should note that she did put down the phone, go into a room by herself, and use the prayer rug first. To be completely honest, I would have done the same thing ... to not would be like setting up some sort of dark karma. She then opened her OWN PRIVATE PROPHESY and received the same "message" no doubt received by hundreds of people today.

B.J. at this point was no longer seriously freaked out about the whole thing. The more she read, the better she felt about the fact that it was clearly a scam. We got laughing about the prayer rug (thought it might be neat to bring it into work ... it was sort of fun predicting the different reactions our coworkers might have), and I told her I'd write a blog about it, just because it was such a priceless story.

The thing is, as I'm writing this, I'm getting really angry with St. Matthew's Churches (I won't emphasize the plural this time). Religion is a personal and private thing. The feeling of a higher power is something that many people find great comfort in. Taking advantage of people without the means or the common sense to investigate scams in the name of God is just beyond despicable.

You might be surprised to know that I'm a believer myself. I was raised a Catholic and though I'm pretty much lapsed at this point in my life, I think most sects of Christianity are similar in a lot of regards. Essentially, the priests or pastors or ministers or whatever-you-call-them are the "higher power" you deal with. I have an extremely important, powerful, and personal relationship with God; I don't think I need to attend church regularly to maintain this.

I mention this because I don't want anyone to view me (or especially B.J., who is pretty much a saint) as awful. Because I believe in God, and believe strongly, I feel justified in saying this:

I am confident that He was laughing right along with us.

Do Not Confuse Atheists with Agnostics

I would do anything in the world for my sister, Mary. Therefore, when she asked that I address on this blog the thorny problem of the vast multitudes mixing up agnostics with atheists, there was no way I could say no.

Atheists are people that do not believe in the existence of any deities. It's not like atheists don't just agree with Christianity, or Judaism, or whatever. There cannot be a deity of any sort, if you are an atheist. Celebrity atheists include Woody Allen, Ani DiFranco, Keanu Reeves, and Katharine Hepburn.

Agnostics, on the other hand, aren't willing to commit to a solid religious dogma. I believe that most actually want a higher power to be running the show, want to know that they be secure in the knowledge that they will float on soft fluffy clouds and play harps with other angels after earthly death. However, agnostics are aware that this scenario (and really most dogma) are kind of ... uh, shall we say, far-fetched. For that reason, agnostics doubt. They question. They are unwilling (or unable) to truly, 100% back up the idea of a puppetmaster God pulling all the strings. The list of celebrity agnostics is kind of telling, actually: Vincent Bugliosi, Matt Groening, Carl Sagan, Uma Thurman, Stephen Hawking, Dave Matthews.

Perhaps one of the most articulate agnostics was the British poet Robert Browning, who depicts the murder of a young woman in his poem "Porphyria's Lover." Basically, this guy strangles his girlfriend to death with a strand of her own hair then sits up all night with the body. Despite this atrocity, Browning makes the point at the poem's end that "God has not said a word." Surely, Browning is screaming with this fairly graphic and disturbing piece, if there was a God, He/She would have done something. Knocked the guy dead with a lightning bolt, maybe. Nope, nothing. However, the true depth of Browning's agnosticism (not to be confused with atheism, which would mean not believing in any sort of deity) is present in that his poem's homicidal lover continues to sit alongside a corpse, continues to wait for a punishment to be doled out. He believes that a punishment can and should and probably is coming ... he just has some lingering doubts about the nature or even maybe the veracity.

Mary is a scientist--she got the brains in the family. She's always been a hundred times better than me at everything, except possibly this little thing called writing (although she's no slouch). Therefore, when Mary asks me to do something for her, I do it. She's two years younger than I am, but I look up to her. There's some strange dynamics in my family. Anyway, Mary, hope this addressed your concerns.

To recap:
If John believes that deities cannot, have never, and will never exist, John is an atheist.
If Jessica believes that there might be a God, that she even hopes there is a God, but she's on the lookout for solid proof, Jessica is an agnostic.

And then, of course, there are true believers, but they go in so many directions I wouldn't even know where to start : )

So What's with this Rabbit Rising from the Dead?

Socrates said, "As for me, all I know is that I know nothing." I freaking love that guy.

Okay, talking about religion is a very dicey subject. You are more than likely going to offend somebody, no matter what you say. Therefore, I'm going to try to skirt around religious dogma as I try to make a point that really doesn't have a whole lot to do with religion, but I sort of need that example to make sense.

I'm with Socrates. I'm fairly well-educated, I spend an enormous amount of time thinking about various things, I read almost obsessively, and I crave intellectual discourse. However, I've come to the conclusion that the more I allegedly know, the less I'm sure of. It's all about planes of thought and how you're looking at things, and it's kind of frightening how lost you can feel the more you know.

One of my major pet peeves, perhaps as a result, is that I cannot stand people who think they know everything. I cannot understand why some people memorize something they perceive as fact then stick to that same interpretation. It drives me especially crazy when these same people look down on others for not sharing their interpretation.

I'm vocalizing this now because it's occurred to me this weekend how ignorant some professed Christians are about the holiday of Easter. I was raised Roman Catholic and, although I'm no longer practicing (the church and I parted ways over our differing interpretation of Addie's worth considering that she was born out of wedlock), those long hours of CCD from first grade through sophomore year of high school did provide me with a solid base in terms of religious education. Reading the Bible several times on my own and studying various other religions have given me even further knowledge. However, "As for me, all I know is that I know nothing." The concept of God is both reassuring and terrifying, the thought of what's out there--as Stephen King wrote, "There are other worlds than these"--beyond all comprehension, at least as far as I'm concerned.

The first thing that really set my teeth on edge was the realization that many professed Christians are completely clueless as to what Easter is and what it is celebrating. I heard a scary number of people at the store at several points this weekend talking about how Christ was crucified on Easter Sunday. Then there was the conversation about what and why Lent is. I just looked at the crucifixes around their necks and their pro-life bumper stickers and wondered why. It just reminded me that, in my experience, many of the loudest mouthpieces of religion have little to no understanding of the teachings of Christ, the text of the Bible beyond the clergyman's interpretation, or the value of putting it all into perspective.

Then the more obvious irritation, one obviously shared by many, is the whole Easter Bunny thing. I realize that I'm sort of embodying hypocrisy here--Addie and Belle had an Easter basket from the little furry guy at home, had an egg hunt at my mom's house (and more candy than you can imagine in one place), and will be getting further loot from Pythagorus' parents tomorrow--but where the heck did this rabbit thing come from (that's a rhetorical question ... I don't know the answer, actually, but I'm going to look it up in just a minute now that I've piqued my own curiousity ... it doesn't change the point, though)? Is it okay for Americans to take a religious holiday and complete usurp it into a Hallmark haven?

I'm aware that the same could be said for Christmas, although I'm pretty sure that even most children could tell you, "It's Jesus' birthday", which is maybe why I'm all worked up about this Easter ignorance. If kids could say, "It's the day Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven ... and the Easter Bunny comes and gives us lots and lots and lots of candy," I'd find it a little more tolerable.

Am I way out on a limb here?