The Giving Tree

Meishu, Leider, Ledare

Today, many in the US celebrate a world of chocolate, candies and fantasy. While books tells us the stories of ourselves, our community, those we don’t know and those we will never meet the public spaces we can enjoy these stories, explore and grow. But while many of these stories are true and these public spaces not all in libraries, many of the libraries would be empty if existing at all if not for...authors. 

November 1st is National Author Day, Gracia!

Neville Longbottom

Oh my goodness Neville, while I connected with Hermione and Luna in love of books, wit, and oddities; my personal experiences always aligned more with Neville, which is why for the majority of the story I was disheartened to find him not having better luck. Regardless, Neville is the character that teaches us the most in the series showing us how words matter, you need to be your strongest supporter, you should do what’s right regardless of others, and how persistence can make all the difference.

“Stick and Stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me”

False. The constant pressure and negativity from his grandmother, Snape and peers held Neville back. Confidence, kindness, respect for different people’s strengths can make all the difference for the individual and for the world. We know all the example I could go thru, but we see as Neville begins to ignore the taunts of others that he continues to improve.

“If You Judge a Fish by Its Ability to Climb a Tree, It Will Live Its Whole Life Believing that It is Stupid”

It took some time, but Neville eventually found himself. While he wasn’t good at potions and his fear of McGonagall held him back in Transfiguration, his love of Herbology eventually led him to a dream career as a Professor who will be the new generations Lupin I’m sure. While he felt down on himself, he didn’t feel bad about what or whom he liked and sought out relationships that he deemed worthy. This success also comes from his showing of persistence (slug club, defeating Voldemort), while not in a zealous way, he constantly tries to better himself and handles rejection well, he also doesn’t give up; even at the end of the first year when Harry, Ron and Hermione say they’re going out he doesn’t let them pass, but vows to stay there blocking them off.

While there is a lot we learn from Neville, what I love the most is how he’s a pure, true, good guy. He’s strong, the ultimate underdog and this is also one of the ways I find myself linked, he’s very moral—always trying to do the right and respectable thing. Even as “a nobody”, he would stand up for others and put others ahead of himself as he told Harry to let him be killed to make sure Voldemort and other’s didn’t get what they want, he also wouldn’t give in during the final battle and showed loyalty and trust in Harry beyond the end. Side point with this, his care with his mother and children who have parents are disabled or impaired, it was beautiful and to show how his grandmother was the opposite was very crucial, she might not have known who her son was, but she recognized this sweet boy and I love how he cherishes the wrappers she gives him.

Neville is the character I have the most “what/if” about

What/If he was in Hufflepuff (added points in letting us know a Hufflepuff so it doesn’t have the reputation it does); he also would have had a better connection with Professor Sprout (if that's possible)

What/If he had been closer to Harry, Ron and Hermione earlier on. I get that they were the core 3, but they didn’t even hang out with him as much as I feel they should have, and even when they did it became: Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville, Luna and Ginny.

Of course, the biggest, What/If is if Voldemort had chosen him instead of Harry, who would he have been? Harry would have been the same if he lived with his Aunt and Uncle, or just like James, if he ended up with Sirius (eck)

Professor Quirrell

Professor Quirrell, Harry Potter’s Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher (the first of many) that turned out to be trying to help Voldemort return to power. There is not much to say about this character; as he played dumb so well, he kind of was very easily forgettable. I don’t even remember much of what they learned from him. (Also thou, it’s upsetting that there is a specific Defense Against the Dark Arts class that children are required to take for 5 years--why aren’t there more prevention for this, why do kids have to be SO prepared).  While definitely not the best person to learn from, unexpectedly he can be a great lesson to all of how (1) book smart is not the same as street smart and (2) to be careful, cautious and not overconfident about who you are

But I will say that while it was unfortunate it was him, I always loved how excited Harry was to meet him. All of these wizards finally get to meet “The Boy Who Lived” and here Harry is just as excited to meet Professor Quirrell because to Harry THIS is someone important, someone, he can and will learn from about magic. I always loved that.  

But, there are a few things that bother me as going back in history, the main two are: 

1. Why didn’t Voldemort mention to Quirrell (he was there) that he could ask Snape for help to get the Sorcerer's Stone? Voldemort always trusted Snape! 

2. Why didn’t Snape share his concerns with Dumbledore? I know that Snape’s concerns with Lupin held more to the story, but I feel like he still would have mentioned it, especially considering how much he pursued Quirrell. Did he not bring it up, or was he ignored?

** Bonus moment: Obviously the later fact how Fred and George were hitting Voldemort with snowballs <3<3<3

Into Thin Air

I’m still in the process of reading this book for the first time, but as I slowly read thru their final days on the Summit, I know this book will be with me forever. Not even knowing the events beforehand Jon Krakauer’s words will break you; you are only able to remove yourself so much as he highlights impending consequences of what were the best-made decisions. Little, inconsequential choices and feelings in crucial moments that were unknown to him at the time turn out to be the worst of his life, you can feel them now—you can feel his sorrow, guilt and pain.

His words are intensified by quotes included by other climbers and authors about climbing, about life and about death. I have added his other works onto my list, as never before have I been able to see a world so clearly, been in the place of someone so closely, feeling their heart within mine. He is an amazing writer, for lack of more deserving words and praise, and I wish peace upon all those in his, and similar stories.

Deangelo

Deangelo’s Best Moment: Season Seven, Episode Twenty-Three: The Inner Circle

When he brings up positive changes as negative changes in his (first) conference room meeting post-Michael:

The he plans to leave the office at 5pm

That the company will send Darryl to business school, full ride

He’s getting Toby a new chair

Ice Cream Thursdays

Deangelo’s Second Worst Moment: Season Seven, Episode Twenty-Two: Goodbye, Michael

When he cuts out two huge corners of the cake, eats one with his hands, and then leans in close to yell “No!” at the cake.

Deangelo’s Best Line: Michael’s Last Dundies

When he see’s Meredith’s place and tells Michael “This reminds me of Katrina”

DeAngelo’s Most Memorable Moment: Season Seven, Episode Twenty-Three: The Inner Circle

His fake juggling routine

While not the best of ideas, in the pre-internet times--books sometimes were your only saviour. Even today, I still appreciate the new worlds, in some aspect better worlds books can take me to and inspire me to create

Robert California

Robert’s Best Moment: Season Eight, Episode Ten: Christmas Wishes

When he doesn’t sleep with Erin.

Robert’s Worst Moment:  Season Eight, Episode Eighteen: Last Day In Florida

When he plans on firing whoever the VP is of the Sabre store.

Robert’s Best Line: Season Eight, Episode Five: Spooked

“When I was a boy, there was an empty house just up the hill from my family’s. It was rumored a man committed suicide there after being possessed by the devil. One day a young woman, Lydia, moved into the house with her infant child.

That very night, Lydia was awakened by a loud heinous hissing sound. She walked to the nursey and there in baby’s crib was a snake wrapped around baby’s neck. Squeezing tighter and tighter, the crib was full of dirt, baby struggled to free itself from underneath. Reaching and clawing, gasping for air, embalmed bodies rose from their sarcophagi, learching toward baby-- for they were mummies.

Amongst them was a man, tall, slim-- almost instinctively she turned to her husband, “oh, wait” she thought “I don’t have a husband”. For Lydia and her husband had had an argument, one they couldn’t get past. Each night they slept one inch farther apart until one-night Lydia left. It was about this time, she lost herself in imaginary worlds. She had quit the book club, the choir, citing something about their high expectations. Her lips slowly grew together from disuse, every time she wanted to act and didn’t another part of her face hardened until it was stone.

And that fevered night she rushed to the nursery, threw open the door “Baby are you okay?”. Baby sat up slowly, turned to mother, and said “I’m fine Bitch. I’m fine.”

Robert’s Most Memorable Moment: Season Eight, Episode One: The List

When he acts as if calling half of his subordinates losers is not a big deal; “it’s on them to prove him right or wrong”.

Our Shared Universe: Human Experience

What is truly beautiful and most show by JK Rowlings’ Harry Potter series, but also by many other books (Sakura and the 1,000 paper cranes and the new book-to-movie adaption To all the boys I’ve loved before, is that while our cultures are different, part of us are all the same. WE ARE ALL HUMAN. While some believe in the human being split and others believe in the red string; most of us all have similarities with those very different from ourselves and even if we cannot meet these people face to face, we meet them in the stories that reflect ours, but are just slightly different.  

At the entrance to the Peace Park people filed through the memorial building in silence. On the walls were photographs of the dead and dying in a ruined city. The atom bomb—the Thunderbolt—had turned Hiroshima into a desert. Sadako didn’t want to look at the frightening pictures. She held tight to Chizuko’s hand and walked quickly through the building. -- Sakura and the 1,000 paper cranes 

Is this not how the US currently deals with September 11th, there is respect, there is honor, there is fear and confusion. 

Roy Anderson

Roy’s Best Moment: Season Two, Episode Fifteen: Boys and Girls

When he went up to Jim, said he heard the rumor about Jim ‘having a crush on Pam’ and that it was no big deal because he knows he’s a good guy and it was a long time ago.

Roy’s Worst Moment: Season Two, Episode Sixteen: Valentine’s Day

When Pam tell Roy that she is upset that he didn’t get her anything for Valentine’s Day “Well, Valentine’s Day isn’t over. Let’s get you home, and you are gonna get the best sex of your life”

Roy’s Best Line: Season Three, Episode Eighteen: The Negotiation

When he gets upset that Pam won’t try to date Jim after they break up again

“Wait a minute, you broke off our wedding for the guy--You mean you’re not even gonna try to go out with him? I don’t get you Pam”

Roy’s Most Memorable Moment: Season Two, Episode Twenty-Two: Casino Night

When he hired Kevin to play the wedding band after seeing Kevin lose at Casino night.

The Lottery

I was never too fond of happily-ever-afters, and as I got older and learned how fictitious they were I became more annoyed by them as I felt, and feel, that they present a falseness that others allow themselves to remain within at the cost of others. But before the true fairy-tales of Cinderella or the Pillowman, the first story is Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”.

This story brings us more into a different perspective than most, like Samuel Jackson’s character in Unbreakable. We start off just seeing a small town coming together for this very important event, how this is an important event in this town and others big and small. While we don’t know what the event is and an entire town meeting ina square seems odd to us now, we know it used to happen and draw connections to how the children act the adults’ gossip, and the changing of the event over time. As the story continues, an undertone becomes more prevalent, young men are just starting to draw for their families, and a woman mentions about how fast time goes by, using the event as a marker and how some towns don’t participate at all. 

What I love about this story is how much our perception changes as we learn more. We enter the story neutrally, then get excited and then try to hold onto that as we learn more. True artistry here comes from being able to challenge, surprise and have your reader’s perception and world be altered; and it is all down here. 

The Lottery: 

http://sites.middlebury.edu/individualandthesociety/files/2010/09/jackson_lottery.pdf