What do you think of my food metaphor?

I've been thinking: whenever we as humans are fed a particularly juicy piece of information steak, we immediately try washing it down with junk food and soda instead of really chewing that new information. What? The food metaphor doesn't work? Alright fine.

So I usually get my epiphany moments when reading, which I prefer, because anything substantial I learn I'm able to read and reread to my heart's content. Until it really sinks in, so I can be sure that I'll be a different person closing and putting down the book from when I first picked it up.

But I'm starting to think what I do after reading is just as important as what I do during. As in, do I let my thoughts wander freely without distraction, or do I click the TV on and flip through channels? I think good thoughts, the ones that really strike us and excite us, deserve to marinate a little. If you'd allow me a final stab at the food metaphor, I'd say that new information is raw food, and it's a bad idea to eat it without letting it cook for a good while. Otherwise, we can't digest and absorb nutrients from the food we just ate, and it just goes straight through us.

Diarrhea is what I'm trying to describe. Or maybe we'll just vomit information back out at other people, showing we didn't take the time to try and understand it, and are only trying to sound smart and impress people. Either way, the food's not doing what it's supposed to be doing, which is feeding us. I think a very real example of this is when I read blogs, because a lot of very good posts show up on my browser window. But before I'm able to generate a single thought from it, I'm already back on Facebook. Effectively poking a small hole in my skull, and letting my rotting brain matter leak all over my keyboard. Facebook does that to you.

I can think of another example, but not everyone will be able to relate I guess. Because at church, I have to confess, I don't remember what my pastor talked about last Sunday or Friday. Remembering specifics is hardly the point, but I have a feeling nothing that was said left any lasting impression on me. I mean, why go to class if the student isn't learning anything? I'm thinking that maybe the conversations in the hallways after the message(almost never about what was just preached) have something to do about it. Not a judgment, hopefully, but a wake-up reminder. If we don't talk about what was talked about, or acknowledge that the service ever happened, it will be as if it hadn't. Then we're wasting a lot of our weekend, aren't we?

This post will end very abruptly. I've got nothing left to say. I hope you understand.

Dumbledore's Army

I hate waking up after an unplanned nap. I take 5 minutes to realize where I am, and what I was doing last, and am always super frustrated for no apparent reason. This afternoon I woke up because it was getting too hot for comfort in my red thermal and PJ bottoms. I fell asleep because I had been reading Harry Potter all morning while lying in bed, the covers pulled up over my chest. Aren't I the coolest guy you know!?

Either I'm blinded by childhood nostalgia, or the Harry Potter series is pretty good, 'cause I'm thoroughly enjoying my rereading of the series. That said, I've had to overlook some really bad jokes, ridiculous dialogue, and some overly obvious foreshadowing. But I guess it gets better as you get to the later books.

Right now I'm in the middle of the fifth book, and to get there I had to go through chapter upon chapter of hormone-charged adolescent angst. It was honestly kind of difficult to get through. Because I felt I was experiencing all that angst. What books like Harry Potter do is provide a vague sketch of a character for the reader to project himself/herself onto. I think that's why Harry doesn't really have a personality the first couple of books. But again, it gets better in later books.

My favorite part of the books is less Harry's story, but the background story of the whole wizarding world. I love reading about magical creatures, places, and lessons at Hogwarts, and if Hogwarts, A History was a real book, I'd definitely read it. I imagine what I'd do if I was in Dumbledore's Army, the Order of the Phoenix, or even the Ministry of Magic. But as always, it's just another escape. I should be spending my time and thinking energy on much more important things, right?

It's funny because I want to be completely honest when I blog, and this is honestly all I've been thinking about recently. Besides going to an hour and a half of summer school every morning and playing video games at Aaron's house, this is all I do. I'm sure I should feel bad, but in complete honesty? I don't. I write all this to keep me aware, and out of the summer daze that threatens to suck the life out of these couple months I have off. I wonder if I'll actually do something about it.

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That last paragraph was a lie. I'm actually writing all this because I'm dreading reading the next chapter. I'm on the one where Harry goes on the Valentine's date with Cho at Hogsmeade. I have vague memories of the event being extremely awkward. Even the chapter picture's awkward, see for yourself! And besides, every scene with him and Cho have been awkward, and my insides squirm whenever I come across them.

Well. Better get it over with.

Escape Artist Pt. 2

Wow. According to this post, the last movie I saw was Cinderella Man. I don't even remember how that one went. Oh well. Continuation of the first part!

Last time I saw a movie was Cinderella Man, in the Northwood performing arts building. It's a movie about a washed-up has-been boxer that struggles to feed his family during the Great Depression, and is given another chance to get back into boxing. Miraculously, he manages to win enough matches to make his way to the championship match, and wins that too. 80% on rotten tomatoes, nominated for a couple academy awards. By all means, a decent movie.