He was clearly a bit nervous about singing with a microphone in front of such a large crowd. However, he did a good job and received plenty of compliments. It seemed like he had fun throughout (including plenty of eye rolls in my direction during the dance/song at the end).
Connor was quite excited about this year’s spring concert. One reason was because he got to play the Star Wars theme on his trumpet. The other was because he was picked to sing a solo, the only solo (so, I suppose the solo solo) in the concert. He said that he only auditioned because a couple of girls kept arguing about which one would get the solo this year, and he wanted to show that a boy could get it. He was clearly a bit nervous about singing with a microphone in front of such a large crowd. However, he did a good job and received plenty of compliments. It seemed like he had fun throughout (including plenty of eye rolls in my direction during the dance/song at the end).
0 Comments
Rowen and Connor came to an agreement so that neither has to go to the other’s concert this week. I have to say that Rowen did a good job negotiating the terms, which included Connor giving up some of his Easter candy stockpile. Rowen managed to convince Connor that he didn’t care if he went to Connor’s concert or not.
I enjoyed the concert, but I think that Connor would not have. Rowen clearly enjoyed the dancing elements the most. As we left, one parent told him that she didn’t know who he was, but she was really impressed by his enthusiasm. A couple of fun notes about Rowen and the event: He tried to convince me that he did not have to dress up even though the notices we received said otherwise. He wanted to go in just his camo pants and Mario T-shirt. I managed to convince him otherwise. He also lost a tooth after I left him at his class but before the concert. I noticed him messing with the new hole throughout the concert. While watching the concert, I kept thinking about the kids themselves and what they would be like when they got to high school. I could already see the direction that many of them are heading, for good and for ill. I wonder if I will have the chance to meet them as high schoolers and match them to their younger selves on the videos I took. Jesus brings us healing. Sometimes it is in fantastically miraculous ways, but more often it is in tiny--but no less miraculous--experiences. Sometimes the healing is obvious and deals with a visible harm; sometimes it is a healing which is not as visible, perhaps of something broken deep inside us.
Today's Gospel has Thomas doubting that Jesus had risen from the dead. He needed to touch Jesus' wounds to believe. Our priest today said that we come to believe when Jesus touches our wounds as well. So many of us are wounded in ways that cannot be seen. For some of us, these wounds have become old companions, to the point that we don't know who we would be without them. Perhaps we are afraid of the changes that being healed might bring. We need to learn to trust that Jesus' cures are more precise than the greatest surgeon. He can change us from who we are to who we are meant to be. First, this is my full review including spoilers of the movie. If you have not seen the movie and wish to do so spoiler-free, please stop reading now and come back when you have watched it.
This movie is nothing short of incredible. If Endgame was taken simply as the sequel to Infinity War, I would still count this as one of the greatest movies I have seen. Yet it is even more than that. Somehow, the Russo brothers managed to pack in and tie together twenty different movies with eleven different casts and storylines into a massive, epic adventure told in two parts totalling nearly six hours. [I am not counting Avengers: Infinity War in this larger scheme (which would otherwise make the total twenty-one movies and the wrap-up at three hours) as these two movies exist as a single unit.] More importantly, it brings full-circle the story arc of the six original Avengers in deeply satisfying ways. With that glowing opening, I want to get some of my quibbles about the movie out of the way. The biggest is time travel. As much as the movie makes fun of nearly every time travel movie ever made--with special emphasis on Back to the Future--it falls to some of the same problems that it was complaining about. It justifies this using the "branching timeline" theory. This makes it so their time travel can create multiple branches of time, but they are able to pull back to their original track of time by returning the stones (and Mjolnir) back to the moment(s) that they took them. Somehow Captain America manages to do this (in an Indiana Jones on the submarine sort of way) despite all the mess and confusion that came about during their "time heist." This supposedly allows for these multiple time branches (such as Thanos and his army) to enter (and die) in the future without affecting the continuity of the past. For me, it required a massive suspension of disbelief. [Thus far the only time travelling stories I've been able to easily swallow are Outlander and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.] And that's it. I loved--or at least liked--everything else. I have heard some complaints about fat Thor, but while I would prefer to bask in the view of Hemsworth's outstanding abs, I think that the transformation said something very powerful about not only the character of Thor, but how so many of us deal with adversity. In fact, Thor's video-game and calorie-filled life as a way to avoid his responsibilities and failures hits remarkably close to home. I've joked about gaining pounds each time I've been laid off, but it's the sad truth. Lately, it's been so much easier to play Overwatch (as opposed to Thor's Fortnite binging) than to deal with needing to completely rewrite the dissertation that I have been working on for the past year. While some might think of the jokes told at Thor's expense as a type of Hollywood fat-shaming, I actually believe it is really close to what would have actually happened because some of the comments made are comments that have been sent in my direction as well ("Eat a salad."). Here are some of the real high points for me:
There are certainly more. There are also some other deeply moving portions of the movie that can't count as high points, but were really well done. Nearly all of them involve the six main Avengers and the arc of their characters. The winner really goes to Tony Stark/Iron Man. He continually battles against various types of selfishness throughout all of the movies. In this one, he is tempted by the most difficult one of all: having the perfect family. He could have just let things lie; however, he shows his absolute selflessness in not only starting the plan, but making the ultimate sacrifice in the end. My eyes are welling up at the thought of it. Steve Rogers/Captain America, who had so often put everyone else before himself, actually steps down and allows himself to enjoy life. While some people were upset that he handed the shield to Sam (Falcon) instead of Bucky (Winter Soldier/White Wolf), I think that Bucky knew he wasn't ready for it, let alone deserve it--just yet. Natasha (Black Widow) sacrifices herself. Trained as an assassin, this movie showed that she was the real heart of the Avengers. She kept going after the first Snap and is able to put the lives of everyone above herself at the very end. (I kept hoping that was going to somehow be undone when Cap returned the stones, but I guess not.) Thor gives up his kingdom. It's taken a while for him to recognize that he might make a good statue of a king, but he is not the best king for his people. He is still worthy--as Mjolnir's acceptance of him shows--but not ready. Bruce (Hulk) who spends all of the movies fighting himself comes to accept both sides of himself (although it's done off-screen). He is thus able to be the one to bring the dusted back. (I do wish they could have had Liv Tyler make an appearance.) Clint (Hawkeye) gets to be with his family. His family's disappearance at the beginning of the movie was a punch to the gut. His crusade is an understandable outlet for his grief (very Punisher-like). That Natasha redeems him through her sacrifice is one of my favorite (if saddest) moments. I am left with some questions: How are the future movies going to rectify the five year gap in the lives of those who were dusted? Won't this make some people older than their older siblings? How will it affect those who lived through the trauma of the five years? Society seemed to fall apart in between; will everything just be back to normal? Bruce (Hulk) mentioned that the stones were emitting a great deal of radiation (especially the type of gamma that affected him). Are the multiple snaps going to be the way Disney brings mutants (like the X-Men) into the MCU? Did everyone from Peter's (Spider-Man's) school happen to get dusted? The trailer for the movie makes it seem like they are all there. It could be possible for a senior at his school from before the snap now be a first-year teacher at the school. What happened to 2014 Gamora? Was she destroyed by Tony's snap? Why focus so much on the young man at the funeral (who I have since learned is the kid from Iron Man 3)? Is he going to be a new Iron Man? Will he team up with Scott's (Ant-Man's) and Clint's (Hawkeye's) grown-up daughters to form a "Young Avengers" (There's a comic series.)? Will Thor really be in the next Guardians (Asgardians) of the Galaxy movie? Will the Black Widow movie that is coming out be some sort of prequel? Does Cap's life with Peggy nullify the Peggy Carter series? (Having not seen it, I don't really care, but I'm still curious.) Well, this took a couple of hours to write. Sorry about the length. I've had a number of people block me over the years, usually after I make a snide comment concerning something they had said which I found ridiculous. A couple of them made a big show about it, and most just dropped off without me really noticing until sometime later. I think about doing something similar from time to time. In fact, I've been asked why I continue to look at posts or allow comments from individuals who clearly disagree with my beliefs, my interests, or just me. I do so for a few reasons, and not all of them are positive.
For one, I believe in looking at multiple viewpoints. I think that we have become too willing to cut off people who disagree with us and thus live in a bubble surrounded by only those views that support our preconceived notions. Without argument and criticism, we don't have the opportunity to analyze our own beliefs and note where we can improve and grow. We also limit ourselves when we don't try to understand other people's points of view, but just dismiss them as foolish, or stupid, or even evil (although some are). Another reason is that I want to help bring people around to my way of thinking. Sure, I believe my way of thinking is better than others. If I didn't, why would I keep thinking the way I do? I have often noticed that people's beliefs are frequently built on a lack of information. If there's one thing I love, it's providing information. I especially enjoy the moment when I can see someone make a connection that they had not realized before. I especially hope for those moments with those whom I care about who might hold different views than mine. Yet another is that some of these people may hold opinions that I disagree with, but I still care about them. I am interested in what is going on with their lives. I want to help them in times of trouble, and I am especially more invested in getting them to see things the right (i.e. my) way. Last (and this is petty of me, but if I'm being honest, it is one of my motivations), I like feeling superior to other people. Having people post items which are so clearly uninformed allows me to sagely shake my head at their obvious mistakes. I get that opportunity to tsk my tongue to the roof of my mouth and smile knowingly while deciding if I want to take the time to educate them or not. Usually I don't, but instead send out a snide response ... like the ones that get me blocked. Wow! I want to see it again! I want to watch the previous 21 movies and then watch it again! Don't bother waiting through the credits; there are not any mid or end credit scenes, just a sound at the very end that I can tell you if you are interested.
I will eventually write a full review and place a link for those interested, but it is late and we still have school tomorrow. Please do not place any spoilers in the comments. Message me if you want to talk about the movie. We are going to watch Avengers: End Game tomorrow. I have not been this eager for a movie to come out since the Lord of the Rings first debuted. I even picked up tickets last week to make certain we would have seats for the early show--which is a good thing because it was sold out as of yesterday.
Although I am concerned that my heightened expectations might lead to more of a letdown when I actually see the movie, the Russo brothers have not yet let me down. I'm interested to see how they make this massive movie tie the past 21 movies together in a way that makes it feel like the end to a massive comic book arc while still paving a way forward for future movies. I hope that it gives us messages that are deeper than just good overcoming evil (although I would like that there too). As I had the last Avengers movie spoiled for me the day before I went to see it (by a student who watched it on the Thursday showing), I do not want to be the person who does that for anyone else. I will be avoiding social media tomorrow until after I see the movie and will then only discuss my thoughts about it with people who send me personal messages. Honestly, I'm getting hyped up just thinking about it. I feel like I've changed out nearly every light fixture in this house. The only exceptions are the chandelier-like lights in the living room and art room, the lights in the kitchen and dining room, the light in our linen closet, and the light in my office. The previous owners were big into fluorescent rings lights, and that's what this final light is.
I don't like the lighting that it gives, it almost seems like I can feel the buzz, the bulbs are expensive, and it's about to go out. I've wanted to switch it out for a while now, but indecision on my part has kept me from making the move. However, it looks like I need to do it soon if I don't want to sit here in the dark writing these posts. The room is narrow, about seven and a half feet wide, yet I would like to put in a small ceiling fan. Having a bit more air flow would be nice, especially with the computers in here. Still, I'm concerned that a small fan might look ridiculous and possibly still be too big for the room. I can't put this off for too much longer--the flickering is starting to get to me. I cut my social media time down substantially over the course of the past forty days (and the Sundays within them). According to the screen time feature on my iPhone, I managed to cut all of my usage a bit more every week to the point that I was on my phone for an average of less than an hour every day. Granted, for the past two weeks, that has partially been due to the lack of time that I've had to exercise as I use my phone as both a workout timer and for my exercise playlist.
I discovered that I really didn't miss much being off of social media. There were a couple of times that I noticed that I had missed some event in one of my friends' lives that was alluded to later. I also was not up-to-the-minute on the news either. Still, although there were a couple of times where I would have liked to scroll through longer, I was not feeling deprived for the lack. As such, I am going to try and keep a better handle on the time I spend on social media. I don't think much gets solved when I comment on posts that make my blood boil. For that matter, it's nice to just scroll through those posts with hardly a glance. My screen time might go up a bit (I missed reading the daily comics posted on the Catholic Geeks site), but I think I have established a better habit overall. Today was a great day. The Easter celebration this morning, if not quite as remarkable as the Vigil mass, was still powerful. There were a couple of hiccups, but I believe that God sorts out such things in the end.
Our service was followed by a nice community breakfast. During this time, the children were invited to take part in an Easter egg hunt (plastic eggs filled with candy and tickets for prizes). The parents were thus given time to hang out and enjoy each other's company. On coming home, we prepared for the Easter dinner, to which Janelle invited a coworker and her husband. The food and company were both excellent. I'm always a little hesitant at first when meeting new people as I can be a bit ... much. However, it did not take long for the atmosphere to get comfortable and conversation to run smoothly. I lifted most of my eating bans this weekend, and enjoyed that as well. Still, I don't think that I have jumped ship entirely. I should be back on track tomorrow. I had planned on writing after getting home from the Easter Vigil yesterday, but I was simply too tired to do anything other than crawl into bed once I actually got home. The service was nice even if the first part--which was held out at the fire pit--had to be cut short due to the rain/snow mix that was coming down. The Easter Vigil is always a lovely service, and the highlight of the Triduum.
Even though the Triduum takes a good deal of time out of the week, it does not feel like a burden to me. Rather, I enjoy each of the services for their own unique foci. Together, they tell the story of the days that lead up to Christ's Resurrection. In doing so, they emphasize Christ's love for us and the message that He brought. In the homily, our pastor emphasized that the Resurrection is not simply an event that happened two thousand years ago. Instead, it is a perpetual event which goes on throughout all of time. We can look around and see aspects of this renewal at any moment. As such, we need to keep Easter alive in our hearts throughout the year, not just during this season. Today we celebrate the second service of the Triduum, a service devoted to the Passion of Jesus the Christ. Unlike other services, this one starts and ends in silence. While communion is given, it is the Body only, and no mass is performed. In place of an offertory, we are given an opportunity to venerate the cross.
Our pastor again emphasized Jesus' call to service in today's Gospel. Jesus provides for others even when on His way to His death. First, He tells the women not to weep for Him, but to provide for their children as they will face difficult times in the future. Later, while on the cross, He tells John to look after His mother, and for Mary to treat John as her son. Finally, just before death, He promises the repentant thief a place in Heaven. Even under the strain of the cross, even in the agony of crucifixion, even just before death, Jesus seeks to help those around Him. Last night ended up being quite a bit busier than I expected. As such, I didn't have a chance to write a post about the mass that starts the Paschal Triduum.
The homily emphasized the three major acts of Jesus during the His Last Supper. He gives His disciples the Eucharist by breaking bread that has become His body and pouring out wine that has become His blood. He then washes their feet, demonstrating that they must serve one another. He also tells them to do these things in memory of Him. Jesus's ministry has always been about service to one another. His final evening with His disciples emphasizes that message. If we are to be like Him, we must serve others until our bodies break and our blood pours out. We must be willing to give of ourselves completely, to love completely. I don’t know why this story idea popped into my head this morning, but it did and drove me to write some of its scenes down. I can’t write music, and any lyrics I create feel forced, but I still am surprisingly interested in this concept.
Waking up one morning, a teenage girl seems to be trapped in a broadway musical. People around her sing the thoughts and feelings that they don’t express verbally. Perhaps each person sings a different style of music depending on personality. In her delusions, she sees them get up and dance around, but they stay in the same place whenever they actually talk, causing her to have difficulty knowing where the person actually is. Sometimes, a second version of the person (like a ghost) does the singing and dancing. Large groups are overwhelming until she learns how to focus on just one song. Fainting spells lead to her a hospital where it is discovered that she has terminal brain cancer. She tries to use her new insight to patch the problems around her before she dies. Scene: her parents sing a duet about how estranged they have become, both still loving the other but feeling alone Scene: while confiding in her friend, she learns that her friend isn’t really listening and keeps singing how much she is attracted to a boy they both claim to hate Scene: tough kid sings a song in a classical style while a “nerd” sings in gangsta rap Scene: an ADHD kid sings an eclectic song of trying to hold a train of thought Scene: in the cafeteria, a ensemble piece of the difficulties of being a teenager that overwhelms her, bringing on one of her fainting spells Scene: amidst a larger piece, she hears the song of a teenager contemplating suicide (one of the people she saves) Scene(s): a girl she knows periodically sings portions of her main concerns throughout the musical. She meets a boy she likes, thinks he’s wonderful, has sex with him, gets ignored, discovers she’s pregnant, has an abortion, tries to fit back in, has named her lost child Scene: the main character doesn’t sing until the end where she expresses those things she wants to do but will not get the chance to do. Those around her join in. The song seems to end with her death. A chorus of angels then picks up the song and she joins in singing with them. |
You Have Been Warned:The writings within hold wit, wisdom, and whimsy, with no warning as to what is which. Blog collections:Archives
February 2024
Categories
All
|