Robert Hass "State Of The Planet"

I’m going to be honest this poem seems very deep to a person that might understand what’s going on. I on the other hand can’t really get into the flow of the poem, maybe it’s the poetic terminology that the author uses but I don’t really get what’s going on. There are some lines that honestly do give me great vivid images in my mind, but then there would be certain words or phrases being said in the very next line  that would I guess through everything into a big ball of confusion. I did enjoy the line when the other said “Poetry should comprehend the earth” I thought that was very intriguing, but I wish Jean could comprehend Poetry.LOL!!!! Poetry to me is sort of a flow of rhyming or non-rhyming words like the Songs of Solomon. I will admit I’m ready to how to read and really comprehend this type of poetry that really talks in more complicated metaphors, and symbologies. But I guess with the level of ignorance I have towards this type literary poetry I’m not doing to well. Their some parts I really do enjoy and can sort of follow in my mind with for example, the great depicted illustrations of nature like the descriptive words used to illustrate the leaves that are blowing in the wind, do help me to see and feel what the author is feeling, but when I read lines like how the “Pacific salmons are making noise against dams of Yokohama” my mind is sent back into a whirlwind of confusion. How can salmon make noise against something? This sort of writing does discourage from trying to understand and read literature like this, because I feel only the elite minds of literature can understand writings like this, but just as we learn during our first reading in the class that’s not the case at all. We just all have to have an open mind in trying to learn and engage form this type of writing which I’m excited to do and learn.

AFI FEILD TRIP

The AFI field trip was one of the most impacting and influential place that I have ever been. This field trip also brought the reading “The boys next door” to life for me. Anytime I would look at each client there I would think about the different characters of the reading. There was one lady at AFI that knew everyone by name but had some form of speech impediment as she would point out everyone and stated their name, she kept saying how everyone there is her friend and that reminded me with the character Lucien. The reading that I felt was best for this outing was the essay by Steven Fettke. The word that was burned into my brain and heart as I looked at all the mentally and physically challenged people was “imago Dei” which was in the essay. Fettke posed a challenging question “Does imago dei mean the same thing for all of God’s creation”. This challenging theological question would be in my mind during this whole time of this visit. At each glance I took at every client I asked myself why God would create some in what society would deem as a “normal image” and why would he create others in an abnormal image. Is the imago dei just for “normal” people, if so then why, if not then what does the imago dei really mean for all people? I believe all creation is made in the image of God but sin has corrupted the physical and spiritual man. Who is really normal with the effect of sin on all man, what is the standard of normality, are you who are reading this normal? There is no such thing as normal but there was One man who came for all of us who were deemed as abnormal because of sin, and he was not just normal but perfect and because of Him we are all normal in the eyes of God

Steven M. Fettke, “The Spirit of God Hovered”

I’m going to be quite honest about the beginning of this article; it showed me so much passion. You could really tell that the writer of this article must of have a personal experience with the issue of mentally and physically challenged people. I loved his position on the imago dei and how he made it in the comparison to what people called “normal” and “abnormal”. He also phrased his position on the imago dei as a challenge to all creation. It was probably the most brilliant arguments or challenges I’ve ever read or heard. If we are all created in the image of God doesn’t that mean mentally and physically challenged people fall under that category also. I always used to ask myself that same question when I seen other people with physical deformities or mentally disabled, the first thing I ask was why not me, and why did God cause this to happen? I asked many people and friends and many tell me that, all of these imperfections of human beings are caused by the sin of Adam. I could really see some truth in that because man became finite at that moment and aged and illness and infirmities corrupted the creation God intended to be perfect morally and spiritually. It does hurt sometimes to see how some people would never experience life to the fullest and do the things most “normal” people can, but it does make me think about how grateful I’m to be what society would deem as “normal”, but this article gives me and should give the church a wakeup call to answer and speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. Isn’t that the true calling of all Christians anyway, to defend and rescue those who cannot rescue themselves that ladies and gentlemen is the message of the CROSS!!!    

Act II

After reading Act I, I had a better intake and gotten better acquainted with the characters in the story. During Act I I was sort of confused and didn’t really know what to expect from most of the characters, and it was hard to follow and understand the relationship of the characters, but since I’m now familiar with them I had a better mind in reading and pretty much know what to expect from each of the characters. At the beginning of this Act I see the character Lucien being introduced as doing one of his impersonations of a portrait he notices in the Library. One thing that sparked my attention is can why he is always starting the Acts in the library or carrying book and could really even read. What I do admire about these groups of guys is that they are not willing to let their disabilities to hinder them to continue to live. I admire the fact that though they may not be all the way their mentally these guys are stilling willing to act out daily shores that a “normal” person would be doing. For example you have Lucien going to libraries and trying to vacuum to the best of the mental capability, then you have Norman who might even be romantically interested in a girl, and then you have Arnold being Arnold over analyzing things and still laboring as any “normal” person would. I think that these guys are even more ambitious and more willing to want to do things then the average person would. I also build a little more respect for Jack who takes the time to take care of these sick guys, a person like that should be well respected for his line of work. I also respect all of those guys who are challenged mentally who desire to live free.

The Boys Next Door Act I

The beginning of Act I was so funny, I absolutely loved the comedic lines and description of Arnold, and it was kind of interesting reading about how someone would describe themselves as so nervous and actually act out in there nervousness through dialogues with the other characters in the first Act. At first the dialogue between Arnold and the manager I thought it was a joke, I would never think that the manger would have been serious of telling a customer to buy 17 boxes of cereal. But this point actually showed I guess the weirdness and naive nature of Arnold who actually went out to buy 17 boxes of the cereal. I found that to be very interesting. Another dialogue which sort of first confused me was the dialogue between Arnold and Lucien. At first I thought the book had a typo when Lucien was talking to Arnold, but I began to notice his speech impediment. I began to wonder at first what was his relationship with Arnold was. What made me laugh a little but it made have been cruel was your in a house with someone who is mentally challenge and a nervous wreck, how could they possibly survive together! But I guess their relationship is more of Arnold taking care of Lucien. What my question is about Lucien is what is his story and why is he the way that he is. I see in the small introduction of Lucien he is a black old guy, so I began to wonder if his handicap was based on a lack of a good education while he was young, or was he mentally disabled at birth. And then I began to wonder about Arnold and what happen to him that made him sort of socially handicap the way that he is. Its as though they both have issues that spark of concerns.