Quirks and Quinkydinks

I woke up around 3:00 in the morning after Easter Sunday, with a splitting headache. It was like my brain was on fire . I was in so much pain that I couldn't move. All I could do was hold my head in both hands, while I was curled up in a ball on my side. After a half hour, the headache wasn't any better, but I fought the pain and the subsequent nausea to stumble my way blindly to the bathroom and find something to take for the pain. After another hour, the pain still hadn't subsided, but I was able to fall asleep for a short time. When I woke up in the morning for work, I was still somewhat nauseous, but the pain had disappeared. Two nights later, the same thing happened again. In the morning, I tried pushing through and got ready for work as best I could. I stopped for tea on my way in and almost passed out in front of the Starbucks counter. I grabbed my grande chai and breakfast sandwich, hardly making it back to my car. I sat in the front seat trying to take deep ...

             If I speak in human and angelic tongues, but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.   And if I have the gift of prophecy, and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.   If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.             Love is patient, love is kind.   It is not jealous, love is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth.   It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.             Love never fails.   If there are...

Harry Potter and the Redefinition of the Epic: Exploring the Otherness, Truthfulness, and Universal Popularity of the Series             What is the modern epic?   This immense question has been central to our World Literature class this semester, and this paper will explain why the Harry Potter series exemplifies the qualities discussed during class, defining the series as not only the modern epic of our time, but also as a universal epic.   The series’ immediate, universal appeal is what differentiates the series from epics we consider classic, such as Homer’s The Odyssey , as well as compares to the quick-spreading popularity of Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner in the adult community.   J.K. Rowling’s seven-part Harry Potter series combines the qualities of other epics, such as commenting on othering and other discriminatory acts, exploring the value of truthfulness, and exploding in popularity...

A quote worth sharing: “Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around. You tell them things that you’ve never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more. You share hopes for the future, dreams that will never come true, goals that were never achieved and the many disappointments life has thrown at you. When something wonderful happens, you can’t wait to tell them about it, knowing they will share in your excitement. They are not embarrassed to cry with you when you are hurting or laugh with you when you make a fool of yourself. Never do they hurt your feelings or make you feel like you are not good enough, but rather they build you up and show you the things about yourself that make you special and even beautiful. There is never any pressure, jealousy or competition but only a quiet calmness when they are around. You can be yourself and not worry about what they will think of you bec...

I felt like my final paper for one of my classes this semester was worth posting on my blog.  Feel free to read or not to read.  I thought the message was too important not to share. How Freedom is Working Against Us: Voicing our Opinions as Facts in the Modern World              As humankind, we must agree that in order to keep a sense of morality and peace, we must concur that what the majority think is the correct way of thinking.   However, we are currently in a state of conflicting opinions—the majority is no longer one voice—also, minorities are able to get their voices heard so much more easily and widespread through the use of technology.   So, who do we listen to now?   This conundrum is why there has been a return to religion, especially traditional religions, where the written word is believed to be right.   While there is nothing wrong with believing our own interpretations of a religi...