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Thursday’s Thoughts ~ What I Would Study
When I finished grad school back when 1999 wasn’t history, I swore I would never – EVER – go back to school. I was tired of papers, classes, exams, forced reading of textbooks, etc… This week’s Thursday’s Thoughts topic is like kismit with it’s timing, though. For the first time in 10 years, I really and truly want to go back to school. And no, I’m not just making this up in the hopes of winning an ultra cool bookcharmer, either.
If I had unlimited time and resources and had none of my current adult responsibilities, I would study French and Linguistics in Paris. I just finished reading Foreign Tongue by Vanina Marsot. This novel has really inspired me with an interest in France, French, and linguistics I never had before. I will never be a native Parisean or a natural speaker of French like Anna was in the novel, but I would love to dive into the way that they live and breathe their language. I want to know how I live and breathe my own without realizing it because I have only a little Spanish to compare it against.
I’ve already used “Stop the cinema!” with Allison this week and I suppose the novelty of what I said made her laugh and forget about what she was whining about. I hope that this is something that she catches herself saying to her own children someday. Maybe she will travel to Paris and study French herself someday. A good mother would visit, wouldn’t she? Oui!
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Thursday’s Thoughts ~ Early Childhood Memories
What are your earliest childhood memories? How old were you at the time? Why do you think those memories are what stayed? How are those memories important to you?
This week is my question and I’m so excited! I am always curious to hear about other people’s earliest childhood memories. If you are too, here’s mine – and don’t forget to visit Thursday’s Thoughts‘ home base for more entries and comments:
My earliest childhood memories take place in our first family home in Sparta, Michigan. We lived there until the summer before I started first grade, so I was five and younger while we lived there. Interestingly enough, many of those memories fall into two categories: me being purposefully naughty and adults around me being upset. Here are some examples:
Mischievous Jennifer
I think this is my earliest memory, although it’s hard to tell. We had older neighbors who lived behind us up a little hill. My mother had told me not to go up there and bother them, but I liked to visit with them. I have a very vivid memory of sneaking up the hill to go visit them and giggling because my mother didn’t know. The couple are not actually in my memory itself. As it turns out, my mother told me not to go visit them because the woman was very ill. They liked it when I visited though, so no one really minded. What a waste of mischievousness.
My friend Sherry Holiday and her older sisters taught me how to make a sugar sandwich. You take a slice of bread, sprinkle spoonfuls of sugar on it and mash it into the bread with your spoon. It sounds gross to me today, but I thought it was yummy then. I told my mother that I was going to get some crackers and instead fixed myself a sugar sandwich. Why I remember this, I have no idea.
Finally, on a Sunday morning after my parents got my brother and me reading for Mass, I cut chunks out of Rob’s hair. I don’t actually remember the cutting. What I remember is trying to come up with a good story to place the blame on my brother. I was over confident of my success, so I was shocked when I get into trouble. What I hadn’t taken into consideration was that my brother was too young to work scissors. It’s the details that get you in the end.
I am a fun-loving and somewhat mischievous person. I enjoy pulling a practical joke as much as I loved being punked by them. I can see that part of my personality was already there from the beginning. I very much have my father’s sense of fun and he got into his share of trouble growing up. I was too much of a pleaser to have a devil may care attitude about such things. I was always careful to make sure that I wasn’t caught. If my risk analysis made me uncomfortable, I didn’t do it. Did I get away with everything, no – but I was too concerned with disappointing adults in authority to do anything really terrible to begin with.
Adults in Peril
I distinctly remember the day that Elvis died. I remember how muggy it was in the living room when we heard Mrs. Holiday cry on the front porch before she knocked on the door. When my mom asked her what was the matter, she cried about Elvis. Mom comforted her for some time before she left. Afterward, I asked Mom who Elvis was. Although I can’t remember her response, I could tell she didn’t think it was worth getting so upset about. It taught me an important lesson in compassion. It doesn’t matter what you think about a person’s problem. It’s not about you, it’s about them. You should always do you best to help them feel better.
Our house in Sparta was on a rather busy road, but there was room to take us for walks down to the residential area just down the way. One day my dad was pushing my brother in the stroller and I was walking along side of him. All of the sudden, a car drove by us like a bat out of hell. My dad yelled at the car, “Slow down!” The car came to a halt and started backing up toward us. I remember seeing something shining out the passenger’s side window, but my dad denies there was a knife. Dad told me to hurry and take Rob across the street back into our driveway as fast as I could. I was scared for my dad, but I did what I was told. I don’t remember much of what happened after that, but nothing happened. This was not the last time my dad shouted at speeding cars to slow down, but I always felt unsettled when he did.
Of course, I have other memories of the important people in my life like playing Don’t Spill the Beans on the living room floor with my Grandma Currie. I remember her polyester outfit and the way she had her hair done up so pretty. I remember driving forever to Ludington to visit Grandma and Grandpa Dodde in Ludington. I remember watching Bob Barker and Donny & Marie on television. I remember the For Sale sign in front of that house and I remember thinking there was a kidnapper underneath my bed. I had a happy early childhood for which I am very thankful. I was loved and safe. You can’t buy that. I hope that my children, who are 6 and 4 have similar safe and warm memories.
What are your earliest childhood memories?
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Thursday’s Thoughts ~ What Grabs Me
Which author’s writing surprised you when you first read their work and what about it grabs you?
Today’s question is brought to us by our wonderful Serena at Savvy Wit & Verse. Great question, Serena! As I did last week, I’m going with the first answer that came to mind ~ Margaret Mitchell.
Although I had seen images of the movie version of Gone With the Wind long before I read the novel, I never saw the movie and did not know much about the story. Still, I had seen the pictures of Vivian Lee as Scarlett. I don’t have to tell anyone what a stunningly beautiful woman she was. Is there anyone alive who doesn’t automatically think Vivian Lee when they think Scarlett? I didn’t think so.
So, when I read the first line of the novel, it grabbed me right away:
Scarlett O’Hara was not beautiful, but men seldom realized it when caught by her charm as the Tarleton twins were.
What? She’s not beautiful? That was a surprise. Hollywood would never have casted an unattractive woman as Scarlett. Perhaps their reasoning were somewhat different, but they, as are we, are no different than the Tarleton twins. We’ve all really been caught up in her charms. We can’t imagine her any other way. From that first short line, I was hooked by Scarlett through the writing of Margaret Mitchell.
That was almost 25 years ago. To this day, Scarlett is my favorite fictional character. Rhett and Melanie are not that far behind. I have read the book five or six times since my first reading. I’ve watched all or parts of the movie countless times. Neither ever get old for me. One might think that such a huge tome and a movie with a built in intermission would be a once in a lifetime type of adventure. Not so for me. Not only have I read the book several times all the way through, I own probably more copies than that. I have more than what is pictured below, but those were the ones I had readily on hand for my spur of the moment picture.
The small paperback version is the first copy I owned and the only copy other than the one fro the library that I’ve ever read. I preserved the cover after my second reading by covering it with an adhesive platic covering. The hard cover is a 1964 copy. It’s cover is torn and not in great shape, but I had to pick it up when I saw it at a yard sale. The large paperback version has recently come out and I couldn’t not pick it up. I’ve also included my copy of Southern Daughter: The Life of Margaret Mitchell, Darden Asbury Pyron’s biography of Margaret Mitchell. I rarely read biographies, but I couldn’t help but make a point to read more about her. Her novel has shaped my views of both heroines and villains more than any other author.
I will be reading Gone With the Wind again next month along with Matt from A Guy’s Moleskin Notebook. Why don’t you join us?
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Thursday’s Thoughts ~ Shaping History
Welcome to my very first Thursday’s Thoughts post! I happened upon it this morning when I saw Sheri’s post about the Blogging Connections. I found it very inspiring. If you haven’t already read it, head over there – but only after you’ve read this, first. LOL!
I like the idea of Thursday’s Thoughts because it gives me the opportunity and excuse to write about something other than books and reading. I love reading and all that goes along with it, but there is more to me than that. Thanks for the opportunity to share. Now, on to today’s question:
What event in history or historical person do you feel had the greatest influence on the modern world and why?
Wow! There could really be so many answers to this question. I am going to go with the first person who came to mind: Johannes Gutenberg and his printing press.
Gutenberg checking the work from his press.
He and his invention made the printed word more accessible to all people. Because the printed word was more accessible, literacy and education became a priority and a possibility for more and more people. When people are able to read, they are no longer dependent upon others such as doctors, priests, and political leaders for information. When you can read books, tracts, and political announcements for yourself, you can form your own opinions on every aspect of life. This opened the doors to religious and political change. Additionally, education opens the doors to financial independence and personal achievement. When it was no longer restricted to the wealthy and privileged, that eventually changed the European and then ultimately the world’s economy.
The Gutenberg Bible, which, at 30 florins a piece, was still quite costly, made it possible for more and more people to hold and read a copy of the most sacred texts of both the Jewish and Christian communities. This took complete control of the way in which God’s Word was read and interpreted from the Catholic Church. Although this is not the sole catalyst for the Protestant Revolution, I wonder if it could have been possible without it. As a Catholic, I appreciate the changes brought about as a result of the Gutenberg Bible and the Protestant Revolution. I firmly believe that challenging the status quo, immoral and unethical practices and policies, and ideas themselves is important and causes growth for all involved. My Catholic faith and the Roman Catholic Church would be less rich without it.
As an American, I appreciate the printing press because it made it possible for the Colonists to spread their message of protest against the English Monarchy relatively quickly through newspapers and pamphlets that could be sent throughout the Colonies. It wasn’t just the protest that was captured by the print culture. How better to frame this debate and allow all Colonists to participate? The tradition of Thomas Paine and “Common Sense” helped framed American democracy. It lives on today and is very much a part of how Americans ever since the American Revolution debate politics. Just because our print has become digital does not take away from Gutenberg. One could not have happened without the other.
Finally, I want to highlight the world changing impact that Gutenberg and his printing press has made in my life: affordable access to books. I know that Thursday’s Thoughts are supposed to provide a creative outlet for my writing beyond books and reading, but with this question, it could not be avoided. My life has been enriched in so many ways through books and it all started with Gutenberg. Some of my fondest memories from childhood took place at or on the way too and from the Gaines Township Public Library. There wouldn’t be free public libraries if it weren’t for the printing press. Libraries would only be for those same wealthy and privileged people who could afford to pay monks to make copies for them. My parents made sure that books were available at home, but without the library I would never have read the wide variety of books that I did. As an adult professional, I can afford to buy my own books. Again, this would not be a possibility without the printing press.
Thank you Johannes Gutenberg for your vision and your gift to the world!
Is there any reader out there who doesn’t owe Gutenberg a debt of gratitude?
Book Blogger Con
Have you heard about the 1st Annual Book Blogger Convention that will be held in NYC during the BEA? You should check it out. I know it will be a fantastic experience. Unfortunately I won't be able to attend due to family obligations, but I'll be trolling blogs for up to the minute news.
WE Magazine’s A Woman Blogger to Watch
Literate Challenges
What's in a Name? 3
Random Reading Challenge
