Red, White, and Blue

 

. . . We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

- The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

What are you doing today on Independence Day? Going to the lake? Having a barbeque? Watching the local fireworks show?

All are excellent ideas, but while you are enjoying your relaxing day, I hope you take a moment to reflect on what this day means for us Americans: we are free. 

We are free because . . .

. . . it took many dedicated individuals to begin the United States of America, many of whom lost their lives for a cause that they could not enjoy themselves.

. . . of the brave men and women who have fought for our country. Since the creation of our nation, we have fought for freedom, for equality, and for so much more. Honor our veterans. We could not have done it without you.

. . . of our current and past leaders who have worked to maintain our freedom. Recognize that despite our differences, we are stronger together. Let Independence Day bring us together to be proud of our heritage.

If you have not read the full transcription of The Declaration of Independence, I recommend you do as a gentle reminder of the importance of this historic day.

I will leave you will one final thought:

Liberty is the breath of life to nations. - George Bernard Shaw

Happy Independence Day, my fellow Americans.

The Warrior's Heart

Hello bloggers! Today's post is also going to be a book review, as I am currently working on other posts under the "insights" and "culture" labels. Check back for this reading material shortly!

The Warrior's Heart by Eric Greitens is an adapted memoir based on the author's initial publication of The Heart and the Fist. The Warrior's Heart is a book targeted towards the young adult genre, but it is also a good read for any age. Eric Greitens is a humanitarian and scholar, and also served as an officer for the Navy SEALs. I recommend you read his bio on his website, which you can find here.

A poignant nonfiction novel, The Warrior's Heart is an eye-opening adventure into Greitens' experiences in war-torn countries. He begins the novel describing his desire to do humanitarian work, with reference to his time spend in Rwanda and Bosnia after genocide ripped their countries apart. His experiences in a Rwanda refugee camp are raw and real, showing his many interactions with families whose lives had been affected by the discord in their countries.

Greitens continues his novel with the discussion of his time training for the Navy SEALs. One of the most prestigious and coveted branches of United States military, it is a difficult program with rigorous training. As Greitens becomes a SEAL, he writes about his active duty experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Upon returning to the States, Greitens donated his combat pay to found The Mission Continues, a nonprofit organization that helps rehabilitate soldiers and provide them with roles in the community. The Warrior's Heart is a reflection of Greitens' personality. It is a story of courage, of redemption, and of righting the wrongs in our world. I do not want to go into excessive detail, as I want you to discover the gem of this story on your own.

I will leave you with this quotation from the novel:

“Viktor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor and the author of Man's Search for Meaning, wrote that human beings create meaning in three ways: through their work, through their relationships, and by how they choose to meet unavoidable suffering. Every life brings hardship and trial, and every life also offers deep possibilities for meaningful work and love ... I've learned that courage and compassion are two sides of the same coin.” (Greitens)

Happy reading, my friends.

The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet

I know I am long overdue for a book review post. It's not for lack of reading, my fellow bloggers. Life has simply been busy, as it almost always is. 

Today's book review is on The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet by Bernie Su and Kate Rorick. For my fellow readers out there, the name "Lizzie Bennet" should ring some bells. That's right, it is the name of the protagonist in Jane Austen's classic Pride and Prejudice. A modern adaptation, The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet is a spin on the original - with a very clever beginning.

Before I get into the book review itself, you may need a bit of background information. For those of you who are also interested in social media and networking in our 21st century era, you probably already know that this book is the follow-up to an overwhelmingly popular video web series. "The Lizzie Bennet Diaries" was a start-up project with the initial idea pitched to Bernie Su by the one and only Hank Green (one of the Vlogbrothers on YouTube and John Green's brother). With the help of a Kickstarter project to fund DVD creation after the end of the series, it has now reached an incredible number of viewers beyond the initial postings on YouTube. An Emmy Award-Winning mini-series with a multi-modal media platform, it now is available for purchase on iTunes and Amazon as well as other entertainment companies.

I recommend watching the web-series before reading the book as it enriches your understanding of the overarching plot. You can find the link to the (free!) viewing on YouTube here. There are a hundred mini-episodes of the initial series, with additional Q & A videos as well as some spin-offs (like Lydia's videos and those supplied by Pemberley Digital).

Now, regarding the book. As previously mentioned, The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet is a modern adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. For those of you who have read Austen's classic, you will appreciate the rich text of The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet. Set in modern day California, Lizzie Bennet is a graduate student studying Mass Communications. As part of her thesis project for the completion of school, she decides to create a video blog (i.e. "vlog") that captures the events of her life and those of the people she interacts with. The authors, Bernie Su and Kate Rorick, write The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet in a first-person perspective using Lizzie's point-of-view. This follows the initial project of the actual videos, as they are also told from Lizzie's perspective.

Lizzie and her best friend, Charlotte Lu, quickly realize how popular Lizzie's vlogs have become. Lizzie covers all topics in her life - her sisters, Lydia and Jane; her mother's obsession with their love lives; the arrival of Bing Lee and his increasing interest in Jane; and of course, her overwhelming frustrations with Bing's "snobby newsboy" friend: Mr. William Darcy.

What we don't see in the videos themselves is described in this companion novel. Many are familiar with the storyline of Pride and Prejudice thanks to a multitude of movie adaptations over the years, but this modern take has so many twists and turns that it still keeps the reader turning the pages. I won't go into excessive detail (as the story is definitely known!), but know that the authors did an incredible job taking something timeless and classic and making it that much more special for readers everywhere. The humor, the emotion, and the realism of the book make the reader feel as though they really are a part of Lizzie's colorful and unique life.

I hope you try this one-of-a-kind read - even if you haven't read the original by Austen. The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet is definitely worth it. Finally, don't forget to seek out the actual video web series. I encourage you to start a discussion about the series and/or companion novel here in the comments below.

Happy reading, fellow bloggers!

Nothing Gold Can Stay

"So dawn goes down to day / Nothing gold can stay." -Robert Frost

Today is a short post, fellow bloggers. I will try to be more in-depth as my schedule calms down for the summer. Here we go:

My family moved many times while I was growing up. I got so accustomed to seeing brown cardboard boxes and clear packaging tape that it became second nature. I would watch the moving crew come and transport all of our worldly belongings not once, but many times over the course of my life. I'd stand by warily, watching them lift our heavy piano, and think, Please don't drop it. I'll be crushed if you do. I remember saying goodbye to friends, each time harder than the last. Each time wondering if or when I'd see them again. It's made goodbyes very hard for me over the years. I'm not good at them. I never have been, and I doubt I ever will be.

My point? Times change. People move on with their lives. Friends move. New career paths are discovered and old ones left behind. Nothing gold can stay. It is a part of life, moving on. Just like the physical act of moving from one place to another.

One of Robert Frost's lesser known poems, "Nothing Gold Can Stay" still holds a lot of significance in our everyday lives. While the poem has a nature metaphor, it is easy to see that it is also about beginnings and endings. Beginning in one place and ending in another. Such is the ever-changing course of our world.

Even though Frost believes that nothing gold can stay, do not forget that like the seasons, there are always new beginnings. Perhaps some of those good "gold" moments have faded, but new ones will take their place in time. The cycle will always continue.

Nothing gold can stay.

Summertime, and the livin' is easy...

"Summertime, and the livin' is easy..."

Summer is great for a lot of things. Popsicles. Aviator sunglasses. Wiggling your toes in the freshly mowed grass. Endless starry nights. Beaches. Daisies. Having supper on the patio. Campfires. S'mores. Driving with the windows rolled down.

Or summertime is maybe simply a time to get out of the house and just go. Somewhere. Anywhere. A break from the normal daily routine of life.

In Spite of Everything

"It's a wonder I haven't abandoned all my ideals, they seem so absurd and impractical. Yet I cling to them, because I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart. I simply can't build my hopes on a foundation of confusion, misery, and death . . . 

I feel the suffering of millions. And yet, when I look up at the sky, I somehow feel that this cruelty too shall end, and that peace and tranquility will return once again." -Anne Frank

The news channels never seem to get better. Every time I turn on the news, or read the paper, there's more destruction going on in our world. War. Hatred. Death. Despair. It feels as though it never ends.

Observations I make as I go about my daily routine help me restore my faith in humanity. A young man helps an elderly lady by holding the door open for her. A teenager soothes the cries of a child who appears to be lost. A simple smile exchanged with a stranger. Like Anne states, I think if we try hard enough, we can all believe "that people are truly good at heart."

Believe in Your Values

"I fell in love with her courage, her sincerity and her flaming self respect and it's these things I'd believe in even if the whole world indulged in wild suspicions that she wasn't all that she should be . . . 

I love her and that's the beginning and end of everything." -F. Scott Fitzgerald

Oftentimes I'm criticized for my "old-fashioned ideals." Sometimes, I have had my friends and family laugh at my values and scoff at the things I hold dear.

I'm a girl with old-fashioned values in a very modern world.

In a society that is constantly telling us who we should be, it's hard to keep our own individual values from slipping away. It takes a certain kind of courage to continue to believe in things that are seemingly lost in a sea of characteristics that the world tells us we ought to have.

Some people sacrifice too many of their values for the things the world tells us we "need": money, prosperity, beauty, success, intimacy... the list is never-ending. Rather than take a step back and ask ourselves, do I really need this? so many of us simply jump on the bandwagon of what everyone else is doing. Humanity justifies itself in so many things simply because there are others who have already done it.

What has happened to our ideals?