Post1: Oldmgastudent

I think the most important thing I have learned in this course occurred within the first chapter of Reading Fiction. Meyer wrote that "In a real sense both the reader and the author create the literary work." He further explains by saying that "how the reader resptonds to the story, poem, or play will help to determine its meaning." This was very insightful for me as it made me approach reading each work differently. Not only did I have to consider going outside of the realm of my mind with some of the works, such as with the poem "The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner". I had to research the era in which it was written in order to understand the way it was meant to be understood. I had no idea what being a gunner meant. After exploring this one word, I got a better understanding of what the author, Randall Jarrell meant. This course has been quite insightful and educational for me. I love to write and read. This course has made me a more intuitive reader, ...

The views on today's roles concerning gender, especially the female, are varied. My classmates have similar views, such as Michael Brinkley and Ariel Waller, who both think that the former roles have been changed and offer choices regarding roles within the modern family dynamic. Michael wrote that the "women in todays society are now capable of of bringing home the bacon." He also believes that the roles are now in some cases being reversed, with men electing to stay home and assume the role of homemaker. Ariel wrote about the roles being equal in today's world, and also contended that it allows us to feel free to attain college degrees and start our own businesses. In contrast Mr. Howard thinks that the modern roles females assume has been somewhat negative. He wrote that with womens liberation the "value of a man began to decrease". Imani on the other hand views the female empowerment as a positive. She wrote that "women want to do more than just st...

The expected role of women today are not much different from that of the nineteenth century. We are still expected to designate our main roles to that of wife and mother. Today, most women play the role of both wife and mother, but also as a contributing and equal member of the household and society. Nora, the protagonist in Ibsen's Dollhouse, plays the traditional role well, but then feels the need to become an independent person whose ideas and contributions are equally respected and appreciated within society and her home. She feels that in order for her to become the most successful person in her life, she needs to find out who she is. Her husband thinks that this is ridiculous and compares her thoughts to that of a child. However, in the end, the importance of educating herself and gaining her own independence, become most important. Women today do not have to make those choices. We have the option of getting our education and starting our careers before or during marriage. O...

The movie Usual Suspects which is a murder suspense, has one of the best plots in a movie I have ever seen.  The plot is about the events surrounding a gun battle on a boat, involving five criminals who met during a police lineup. The entire story is told by the lone survivor, a cripple named Roger "Verbal" Kent, who identifies the antagonist as Keyzer Soze. Keyzer is supposed to be a notorious mob boss who employs the five for various illegal jobs. No one ever saw him in person. In the end, it is revealed that Verbal, who no one paid attention to or gave much credit, as indeed Keyser. The way this movie was written kept me compelled from the beginning to the end. I thought I was rather good at figuring out the murderer, but this film proved me wrong.  

I love watching Golden Girls, whose main setting is a beautiful home in Miami, Florida. The setting represents the reason most retired people move to Florida, and is the focal point of solving most of the life issues presented to these four women. It is always more comfortable to be in ones home and to have your most intimate moments discussed with others who live with you.

E. E. Cummings poem "next to of course god america i" is filled with irony in reference to patriotism to our country and us going to war. He writes "why talk of beauty what could be more beautiful than our heroic happy dead" which is saying that our beautiful country sends our soldiers to die so they can be called heroes. The dead feels no emotions so calling them happy is ironic. XTC does the same in their song "dear god". The lyrics are a letter to God and the first verse begins with "Dear God", but then it ends with "I can't believe in you." If one is atheist why write a letter to God?

The Doors and Robert Frost both have lyrics in which the word night becomes the focal point but they both symbolized different meanings. Frost said " Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right. I have been one acquainted with the night." My interpretation of this is that the speaker has become acquainted with the feelings of loss and death. No one is aware of when it may strike and how it may make us feel but in the end, he knows the feelings personally. The Doors sang of the End of the Night and even though the melody is dark and somber their lyrics mean something different to me. "Take the highway to the end of the night" says come take a great adventure with me, lets get away from the darkness. This symbolizes getting enebriated as a means of escaping the bad things and going mentally to a brighter place.

When I read poetry I tend to be as immersed in it and I absorb its' contents like a sponge absorbs water. This allows me to feel the words and interpret the meanings which resonates best with me. 

I think the metaphor of my life would be "Dance like no one is watching." This is the way I choose to live by doing what makes me happy regardless of how others may feel about it.

Ruth Foreman evoked vivid pictures of the inner city life with the imagery she provided in her poem "Poetry Should Ride the Bus". I lived in Brooklyn for part of my youth, and related to the things described such as, "for all the fine young men with fades shootin craps around the corner", and "n hold your hand when you walk past the yellow crackhouse". These lines took me back to the days on the block of East 55th Street in East Flatbush. Poetry and music can use imagery to enhance your past or present experiences. It may even help you visualize your hopes and dreams as you would like them to be. Jill Scott makes you picture an ideal date with the right person with her song A Long Walk. Or maybe we can see a movie Or maybe we can see a play on Saturday (Saturday) Or maybe we can roll a tree and feel the breeze and listen to a symphony Or maybe chill and just be, or maybe Maybe we can take a cruise and listen to the Roots or maybe eat some passion fruit ...

I think the perfect image that sums up my life so far is the Phoenix. It represents not only the dying of my past, but the beauty of living this current life.

In Mary Oliver's Oxygen, I found the mythological reference to life and death being referenced. She stated "  Everything needs it: bone, muscles, and even,  while it calls the earth its home, the soul." She is referring to love, which is one of our basic needs like air. It gives you life and without it we die.  I thought this was a very profound and true statement. 

I consider myself to be like the mythological creature the Phoenix which is a beautiful bird reincarnated from the ashes of its predecessor.  My life reflects in my eyes a reincarnation of the old me to the new more vibrant, confident me. In my former life I lived as a typical heterosexual woman within my culture. I denied my sexual orientation because it was considered to not only be deviant, but also immoral behavior. I stayed within the shadows and basically did what was expected of me from my family and friends. I finally died in 2008 and was reincarnated as the person I am today. A driven woman who will conquer her dreams no matter the obstacle. Oh, and yes, I am a lesbian. I feel as if my coming out was the birth of my new life. Now as the Phoenix, I can and will soar. https://www.google.com/searchq=a+phoenix+rising+from+the+ashes&source

I chose my verse in January, 2008 while living in Pordenone, Italy. I looked at my surroundings and how beautiful it was, and at my possessions, which most strive for. I was not happy. This verse from Tamia's Me became my mantra: And her name is me And she loves me more than you'll ever know And I finally see that Loving you and loving me just don't seem to work at all So patiently She's waiting on me to tell you that she needs love And to choose between you two Boy you know if I have to choose I choose me..

One of my favorite song lyrics is from Crisette Michelle's song called "A Couple of Forevers". They are as follows: Me and you, I look like I might Nothing can stop love from love And our love You know I'm not asking for much Just a couple of forevers A couple of forevers.... The theme of this song to me is lifetime commitment. I have always wanted the type of union I saw my grandparents, who were married for 65 years until death, and my parents who have been married for the past 47 years have. These lyrics state exactly what I was looking for within my own marriage and was used by me to tell my current spouse of my expectations. 

I would say the theme of my life so far is resilience. I have proven to myself, and made others aware, that I will not give up on my dreams. I will continue to push for my success as a person in all aspects of life. My career, my family and my home are all within balance no matter how hard it may be to do so. I live everyday as a new experience and I have no regrets. For every no I will get a thousand yes's. Every stumble will be replaced  by a million steps toward my goals. Every obstacle will be dismantled. I am strong and I will continue to strive for what is mine.

I'm an immigrant so to me the theme of the United States is what I was taught growing up, freedom and opportunity. The U.S. has always been regarded as the land of opportunity and as such represents its theme. This country represents a chance for all people who reside here to freely pursue their dreams. This is the only country in which an eighty year old who never graduated high school can decide to do so at that age. A person who was born into poverty can become a millionaire, and a person born with a disability can achieve things which may seem impossible.

I read two blogs that stood out to me about symbol and thought they were similar, yet abstract with their meaning. Both blogs happened to feature tattoos as the symbols that are permanently displayed and their meanings for each person.   #Blacksharptalk   posted by Howard was titled, "My tattoos are what I carry and it symbolizes my life". I thought this was very touching to know that he chose to document his life experiences permanently on his body as a testament. I think that is brave, and shows that he is proud and has no regrets, and chooses to learn and remember all things, good or bad.   Imani's blog talked about her tattoo which serves as a motivational tool whenever she may be down. She has set her goal and at any time if she should become discouraged or suffer any setbacks, she can look at her wrist and remember, she's a queen.

Anyone who knows me well know that it is very rare to see me without my "Scorpion" ring. It is worn on my right hand next to my pinkie finger. I wear this as a testament to my zodiac sign of Scorpio, of which I am considered to be the Phoenix, and am very proud to be.  Pe r  astrology.com , " The Scorpion symbolizes Scorpio, and that is no accident. Much like the Scorpion would rather kill itself than be killed, those born under this sign are in ultimate control of their destiny ". This reflects my personally in a lot of ways as I can be very defensive of myself and of those for whom I care deeply. The site also stated " The great strength of the Scorpio-born is in their determination, passion and motivation. Scorpios don't know the word quit, which is why they usually get the job done." Now, those words I do live by. 

I read quite a few blogs from my colleagues and two posts intrigued and enlightened me. I loved Kyla's ( Kyla Blogging into the Class )  interpretation of Dina going to Japan as an exploration. She stated that everyone dreams of exploring and how very few do so. As a person who loves new experiences, it surprised me that I didn't take this stance after reading the story. Ashayla  ( Ashayla's Blog ) spoke of the authors description of the setting making the story picturesque. I completely agree. Without her detailed writing, the story wouldn't have given me the mental imagery which enabled my minds eye to play the story while I read it, as a movie.

Packer set the stage of her story by first describing the neighborhood from which Dina, her protagonist, hails. This picture, to me, showed the despair and hopelessness of her situation that she thought she could fix through escaping to Japan. The abandoned buildings neglected by the city with their slew of broken promises of fixing them. Packer wrote, "she harbored the vague hope that if she came back to the neighborhood they'd get renovated". Japan on the other hand, with its' rich customs and culture, seemed as if it could offer her a better chance of success in life. Packer did indicate the senselessness of her choice by writing, "she didn't want to say it, because it made no practical sense, but in the end she went to Japan for the delicate sake cups, resting in her hand like a blossom; she went to Japan for loveliness." To Dina, this was quite the opposite of her world as she knew it. Packer then talked of the treatment of the gaijin in Japan and...

A Rose for Emily is not your traditional story telling style. It begins with the death of the protagonist and ends with the plot of the story, which happens to be the murder of her fiance. The story is told chronologically, first by stating about her death and the way she was viewed, " a fallen monument". Ms. Emily stood for all things expected from a "Southern Belle". An online analysis by Christopher Booker on Smoop.com suggested that every event explained what may have led her to commit murder despite her respected position. Her family was rich and respected raising her in an air of eccentricity. Her father rejected all her suiters which left her a spinster at the age of 30. Of course she became hopeful when she met this charming strapping man, even though he was a Yankee. Had she been more sociable she may have realized his attention meant nothing more than friendship. Who could actually blame her for snapping? At least she got her man! https://www.shmoop.com...

The story "A Sorrowful Woman" is written by author Gail Godwin, and this like most of her stories reflects her life growing up. Ms. Godwin was raised in Birmingham, Alabama by a divorced mother who was also an author and an English professor. Her mother was the model for most of her strong female protagonists. Ms. Godwin was described in an article I found in Britannica online as an " American author of fiction about personal freedom in man-woman relationships and the choices women make." This is definitely evident in this story of a wife who feels trapped as a wife and mother, even though she took the role as she is expected to do in society. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gail-Godwin

I have led a very interesting life that most seem to find incredible. I am from a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural family and raised mainly in two countries. I have travelled and lived in many places including a few other countries as well. I sang in a band, performed and wrote music and poetry. I married young and divorced after a few years with just a little drama.  I outted myself at age fourty and married my wife, whom I met online. I have had an exciting and wonderful life, for which I could either write one exciting book, or many short stories. I am grateful for my experiences and maybe one day, you will really get to read about them.

I relate mostly to the story of "A Secret Sorrow" by Karen Van Der Zee as at one point of my life, circa pre marriage number one, I was Faye. I am also unable to have children so I refused to marry him because of that circumstance. He was exactly like Kai, and convinced me to marry him anyway. We lasted for sixteen years, but the desire to procreate for him was too great. He is now married with two children, and I am happilly married and living the life I thought I could never have. Many people take forgranted the emotional impact that a barren woman may go through. In my case, I thought it was my punishment for being a lesbian. I thought by marrying a man and hiding my sexuallity I could avoid all the negative feedback usually given. The truth is, I never really wanted to be a parent but we are conditioned that it is the natural way of progression. At first I thought of myself as a transvestite, I looked and lived like a woman, but could'nt trully be considered one if I...

My all time favorite movie would have to be Imitation of Life, which is a 1959 film starring Lana Turner and Juanita Moore, and also features famous gospel artist, Mahalia Jackson. This film tackled a few issues that were relevant at that time, and ironically now, such as racism and gender equality. This film earned the several nominations for not only the Academy Awards, but also from the Golden Globes, Directors Guild, and the Laurel Awards.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imitation_of_Life The film is about two women ambitious women who follow their dreams, while dealing with raising their daughters together in one household. Moore plays the housekeeper whose daughter passes for white rejecting her African American mother. Turner is the ambitious actress who despite her late start becomes a successful actress whose daughter feels neglected by her. The film shows the effects of racial inequality of that era and also explores the resentment felt toward women who are driven. Sexu...

I am new to MGA this semester as a transfer non traditional student. Non traditional....in my case I guess that means I am old. I did not complete college many years ago as I should because of unfortunate reasons, too long to explain, but it is on my bucket list so I am doing so now. I am married to a wonderful woman and we have one fir child Oreo, whom I spoil completely. My goal now is to complete my degree in Human Services, get a Masters of Sociology, and become a councilor. My nickname among friends is Dr. Phil, so I may as well get paid for it. Seriously though, this has been a dream of mine since age 10, so I am more than happy to complete it. I have worked for the past 25 to 30 years in management, and I do have an A.S. in  Business, but my real love is to be able to help people within the capacity either as a councilor or social worker. I do look forward to getting to know all of you this semester. Good luck and happy learning.