Bump

As Bump begins to gain some notoriety, I've noticed that astute reviewers are pointing out the flaws. In this particularly thoughtful essay, Mary Hasson articulates the sum of what I think is inherently wrong with the premise of the show.

Other bloggers are quick to point out other problems.

Please bear in mind that Bump is the project of college students from John Paul the Great University. These are young adults preparing to be a force for good in the culture of television and new media. We need them to succeed! Clearly there are flaws--some much bigger than bad acting--but kudos to them for taking a risk and for initiating conversation. Hopefully,they won't be discouraged by the imperfections and the way they are sure to be discussed. Hopefully, they'll look back on this experience fondly as one in which they learned a great deal and moved forward with resolve and hard-won wisdom to claim media for the good guys in culture war. I think we can encourage that ultimate success in the way that we respond to this series and influence the conversation.

Follow Up

Yesterday, I noted that Danielle Bean, Lisa Hendy and I were talking about teens and technology at Faith and Family Live! In the course of the conversation, I rather flippantly said that I'm a failure at controlling technology use. When three women have fifteen minutes total to discuss a topic, it's a good idea to think ahead and decide what's most important to say. I chose to spend my 5-ish minutes letting people know about Mpower. Because I know that Mpower will do a far better job than the one I'm doing, despite my long history of working diligently at techonology control. This generated some mail and some Facebook comments chock full of advice and admonitions for my cavalier attitude towards the evils lurking in my home electronics.

Rest assured, my husband and I spend considerable time keeping tabs on what's happening in all those screens. We've pretty much kept up with the technology wave. That said, I am  looking forward to the launch of Mpower so that minds who are much more educated and agile than mine will be on my side to wage war on any evil prowling about for the ruin of souls. The reality is that I've been at this a while and history and experience tell me that just as sure as I go to sleep tonight self-assured that I've sealed up all venues of evil and protected my children from all electronic harm, my boys (the girls, not so much) will discover a new gadget or network or game or venue that I never could have imagined.There will be system failure. Been there, done that. There's always something. That's why I am so looking forward to these guys taking on the job. They are ever so much more imaginative than I am.

We're talking texting and television and technology and TEENS

Come listen to today's podcast on Faith and Family Live! in which I come clean about being a failure at technology control.

Katherine Paterson and the Boy I Love

I recently read that Katherine Paterson was named National Ambassador of Young People's Literature and the announcement made me smile. And remember. It set me off on a bit of a rabbit trail.

My favorite class in college was Children's Literature. It was not taught by my favorite teacher (that would be Teaching Reading and Reading Disabilities). Children's Literature was wonderful because, well, it required that I read the best of the best of children's books all semester and spend hours sequestered with my best friends in the tiny section of the Ed School library that was devoted to Children's Lit.

It was autumn of my third year when I read Bridge to Terabithia. Page after page, a beautiful friendship unfolded. In the woods of a countryside that sounded very much like my beloved northern Virginia woods, Jess and Leslie became best friends. [My recent rabbit trail confirms that she was indeed inspired by the woods here in my county.]

Sitting in that tiny library, turning page after page until I read it one sitting, I remembered.

I remembered an early teen friendship that later became a romance of fits and starts. The romance part was too much, too soon. But the friendship part was precious and rare and so very much like that of Jess and Leslie. When Leslie died and Jess grieved, I felt so sorry for him that I picked up the phone.

I called that dear friend and we talked for hours. He invited me to come home one weekend very soon.

We walked those woods again.

We were married two years later.

I'm a big fan of Katherine Paterson:-)

*And no, I haven't seen the movie. Some books are just too dear to risk messing them up by watching the movie.

Dreary Day Daybook

Outside My Window::

::Rain is washing away the snow at last.

I am Listening to::

::quiet. Only Sarah and I are home and she is sleeping on my lap.

I am wearing ::

::a pink cotton pointelle sweater tunic, wine colored corduroys, and a pretty hand knit lacy scarf with tiny pink seed beads in it.
 

I am Thankful For::

::a very good priest whom I met this morning. He's new to the neighborhood and we are very blessed to welcome him.

I am Pondering:

::Though we should fall fifty times a day, let us rise again quite simply, without wasting thought in self-reflections on what we may have done or left undone. Such useless discouragements are often greater faults than the ones that so disturb us.
     If we follow His plans for us, though heaven and earth should be overturned, in truth it does not matter whether we suffer or enjoy, so long as the Divine Will be accomplished."--Jane de Chantal

I am Reading:

::all sorts of things. I unpacked the library yesterday and very carefully shelved all our books. Wow. We have a lot of books. I've committed to not buying a single book this year. We have all we need and I still have so many books that remain unread. So! to read them now...

From the Kitchen::

::I think it's a chili sort of day today. Or maybe beef stew...

I am Thinking:

::about this post. I think being informed of the news is important. It's important to be an informed electorate and to be aware citizens and I do read and/or watch the news from various sources.. But, I understand what Katherine's saying. So, I'm thinking about all those things that distract me from prayer and make me think too much and judge too much and stir up passions of fear and anxiety (uh, the internet?). Hah! Now, I'm thinking about thinking too much:-).

I am Creating::

::clean, clear, uncluttered rooms. Oh happy,  happy day!

On my iPod::

::really pretty belltower chimes to remind me of the events in this domestic monastery. Lovely.

Towards a Real Education::

::As I restocked the library (which took several hours), I thought about the way I plan now compared to the way I planned years ago. They're aren't too many differences, except there are more learners in my house these days. The materials I bought then have stood the test of time. I have enough--more than enough--right here in my home to finish out this home education adventure. We are well-provisioned, indeed.

Towards Rhythm and Beauty:

::the floors are so pretty. It's like living in a treehouse. Only with plumbing.

::To Live the Liturgy:

::pray the Divine Office and go to Mass as often as possible. The rest just comes naturally. Simple as that.

I am Hoping and Praying:

:: for the Pope's intentions:That young people may learn to use modern means of social communication for their personal growth and to better prepare themselves to serve society.

Amen.

In the Garden:

::the wood guys totally trampled my pansies. Bummer.

Around the House:

::lots of moving back into place to do and lots and lots of dusting.

On Keeping Home:

::I'm being very intentional as I move things back in and I'm aware that this is a great time to work on good housekeeping habits for all of us. Diligence is the order of the day.

One of My Favorite Things:

::the Eucharist

Sarah Annie this week:

::Rumor has it that she's walking. My children tell me they've witnessed up to 16 steps. But she absolutely will not walk in my presence.

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week:

::The contractors will return tomorrow morning to put another coat of finish on the stairs and to repair the wall where somehow a piece of flooring made a hole.

::Lots of ballet as we fit in a bunch of makeup lessons.

::daily Mass right here in the neighborhood:-)

::March for Life on Friday

A Picture Thought I'm sharing: